History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 191

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358

USA > Missouri > St Louis County > St Louis City > History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men > Part 191

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1873

COUNTY OF SAINT LOUIS.

fined the boundaries or line between the city and county, and made provisions for the organization of the county and the appointment of its first officers. The newly-appointed county judges under the act were Henry L. Sutton, presiding judge; Joseph Con- way and James C. Edwards, associates. A meeting of the judges was held at the house of Judge Sut- ton on the 22d of January, 1877, and the work of organizing the county was entered on. The constitu- tional oath of office was administered to the justices by Thomas Thomas, notary public, and orders were made that William D. Clayton be appointed clerk of the County Court and ex officio recorder of deeds, also that Alfred Carr be appointed sheriff of the county and ex officio collector. Thomas T. January was appointed county treasurer, and the amount of the bonds of all thesc officers was prescribed. It was then ordered " that the presiding justice of this court inform the presiding justice of the old County Court that the new county government is now organ- ized in manner as provided by law, and has assumed the control of the affairs of the county of St. Louis in the newly-established limits as fixed and deter- mined by scheme and charter." By another order the presiding justice was directed to surrender to the mayor of the city of St. Louis the county buildings and property belonging to the old county and located within the extended limits of the city, as those limits were fixed by the scheme and charter.

A committee, consisting of the presiding justice, sheriff, and clerk, was appointed to select a suitable place for a temporary county-scat, and Frank J. Bowman was appointed special counsel for the county in all matters pertaining to its organization. It was ordered that the seal of the new county should be in all respects similar to the one previously used by the County Court of St. Louis County, except that the word " new" should be prefixed to the word " county" on such scal. The special counsel was directed to take measures for determining the validity of the new organization, and the police commissioners of the city of St. Louis were requested to continue the police regulations in the county till further arrangements were made. The machinery of the new county gov- ernment was thus set in motion.

The temporary county-seat was fixed at the Mount Olive House, on the Olive Street Rock road, nine miles from the old court-house. The owner of this house, Samuel Ecker, offered the same, with all the necessary rooms, for the use of the County Court, all the county offices, and, when needed, accommodation for the Circuit and Probate Courts. This offer was accepted, and the first meeting there of the court was

held on the 12th of March, 1877. This house had been crected for a summer resort seventeen years pre- viously. It was a fine three-story brick building, con- taining thirty-seven rooms and a hall forty by forty- four fect, amply capacious for a court-room.

The region was pleasant, and the West End Narrow-Gauge Railroad ran within a mile of the place. Here the county business was transacted till the completion of the buildings at the county-seat. Of this house the St. Louis Republican of April 23, 1878, said,-

" The Mount Olive House, the temporary seat of justice for St. Louis County, had every inch of available space occupied yesterday.

" It is questionable whether another public-house of the same size in America was ever put to as many uses in the same space of time-six hours-as was this house yesterday.

" In this house is located all the county offices inseparable to the municipal government of a county with forty thousand in- habitants,-a post-office, a large bar-room, where attorneys do not room, a Circuit Court room, a County Court room, a Pro- bate Court room, private offices, a large printing-office, where the county paper is published, and a number of sleeping-rooms. The house is also serving as a hotel, and to-day some part of it will be used as a jail, where prisoners will be temporarily con- fined until their cases are called.

" Four different organized bodies-the Circuit Court, the County Court, the Probate Court, and the Court of Equaliza- tion-held sessions and transacted business, notwithstanding that the rain poured down and the wind roared like a tor- nado."

A commission, consisting of Robert G. Coleman, Thomas J. Sappington, and Wm. M. Henderson, M.D., was appointed to select a suitable place for a per- manent county-seat. These commissioners met on the 7th of May, 1877, and agreed that the best interest of the county demanded the location of the county- seat on a plat of ground belonging to William Pat- rick, lying south of the Olive Street road, and west of the Watson road, at the point where the Signal Service station was previously located.

This selection proved unsatisfactory to the people, and the commissioners annulled it on the plea that they had not qualified before entering on their duties, and that the selection was therefore void. The St. Louis Republican of Sept. 25, 1877, stated,-

" The St. Louis commissioners, Messrs. Coleman, Sappington, and Henderson, appointed by the board of freeholders to locate the permanent county-seat for St. Louis County, met yesterday at Mount Olive and agreed upon a location. The proposals offered comprised three from Mr. Clayton, the Mount Olive, Mrs. Patrick's, near Strattman's, Denny; Buntville, Kirk wood, and St. Ferdinand. The commissioners held their meeting in private, and finally settled on what is locally known as the third proposition of Ralph Clayton, comprising one hundred and four acres of ground on the Hanley road. Mrs. Hanley gives four acres and Mr. Clayton one hundred acres. The land has been held at a valuation of three hundred dollars per acre, aggrega-

1874

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

ting over thirty-one thousand dollars in total value. The Han- ley road starts from Barthold's, on the Manchester road, and running north crosses successively the Clayton road, Bonhomme road, Olive Street road, and tbe St. Charles Rock road. The lo- cation as fixed upon by the commissioners is at the junction of the Hanley road, bounding it on the east, and the projected St. Louis Narrow-Gauge Railroad, bounding it on the west, and running through Forest Park, and from which road the St. Louis, Kansas City and Northern Railroad secured the right of way into the Union Depot. The proposed Narrow-Gauge Road is already graded past the newly-located county-seat. The property is about eight and a half. miles from the city court- house, and is accessible from all the thoroughfares in the county, which approach each other as they near the city. The location is about a mile and a quarter southeast of the present tempo- rary county-seat at Mount Olive, the Hanley road passing around Olive Street road a short distance east of Mount Olive. The location is three miles north of Barthold's, and about two miles west of Forest Park, or the city limits."

On the 4th of December, 1877, an election was held to determine the question of location of the county-seat, and the recommendation of the commis- sioners was indorsed by a small majority.

At a meeting of the County Court, held at Mount Olive, March 4, 1878,-

"it was ordered that the commissioner of county-seat pro- ceed at once to have the square or block of ground reserved for county buildings cleared of all timber, brush, stumps, etc., that in his judgment should be removed, preserving all forest-trees that will not obstruct nor be in the way of the construction of said buildings on said square.

" It was ordered further that as soon as the county surveyor has completed an accurate measurement of the grounds and the sub-division of the same, in accordance with the map of plat ap- proved hy this court and ordered filed in the county clerk's office, the said commissioner shall immediately cause at least one thousand lithographed copies of the same to be made for distribution, headed with the name of 'Clayton, St. Louis County Court-House Donation,' in large letters, with the four avenues bordering the court-house square and inclosing tbe same named and lettered on said map, as follows, viz. : the one running north and south on the east side of said square shall be named and lettered Central Avenue; the one on the north side of said square, running east and west, named and lettered St. Ferdinand Avenue; the one on the south side of said square, running east and west, named and lettered Carondelet Avenue; the one on the west side of the square shall be named and let- tered Meramec Avenue, and the one immediately south of Carondelet Avenue shall be named and lettered Bonhomme Avenue.

"' The original of said lithographie plats, with the names of said avenues thereon, shall be matters of record, and all of tbe before-inentioned avenucs are hereby dedicated for public use, together with all other avenues, streets, and alleys shown on said original map or plat as recorded and named by the said commissioner of the county-seat.

" It was further ordered that the avenue running north and south on the western boundary of said plat shall be named and lettered Coleman Avenue.

"The avenue running east and west along the northern boundary on said plat shall be named and lettered Henderson Avenue.

" The avenue running north and south and immediately east

of Central Avenue shall be named and lettered St. Louis Avenue.

" And the avenue running with and parallel to the St. Louis County Railroad shall he named and lettered Sappington Avenue.

" All of which are hereby dedicated to public use, together with the other avenues, streets, or alleys marked out and shown upon said plat."

On the 18th of July, 1877, the last act in the sepa- ration of the city and county governments was accom- plished, and the old County Court adjourned forever. The Board of Finance, consisting of R. C. Allen, justice Sixth District; C. Conrades, justice Fifth District ; Henry Overstolz, mayor; E. L. Adreon, comptroller, presented their report. The old court had no objec- tion to interpose, and the warrants were drawn upon the treasurer for the amounts due the city and county respectively.

At this meeting the following was offered by Judge Finney :

" Ordered, That, in pursuance of the provisions of Section 9 of the scheme, the clerk of this court, the county treasurer, and the county auditor be and they are hereby instructed to transfer to the proper officers of the city of St. Louis all records, books, papers, etc., now in the office of this court or under their control.

" And it is further ordered that the furniture, books, and papers in the offices of the county auditor and treasurer and County Court room, and all other property belonging to the former county of St. Louis not heretofore transferred, be and the same are hereby turned over and formally transferred to the city of St. Louis.

" And that the assessor be instructed to transfer to the new County Court all books, plats, etc., now in his possession, and which by the terms of the scheme bave become their property."

Adopted.

Judge Allen moved that the seal of the old County Court be turned over to the new County Court. Judge Speck thought there were some objections, but Judge Edwards, of the new County Court, who was present, explained that the transfer would be merely as a piece of property, and it was agreed to.

Judge Finney then offered the following :

" WHEREAS, The Board of Finance appointed under the scheme and charter for the purpose of adjusting the relations between the old county of St. Louis and the city of St. Louis and the new county of St. Louis have this day reported to the court that they have completed their labors, and all appropriate or- ders having been made and passed ; it is therefore

" Ordered, That the functions of this court having ceased and its powers ended, in accordance with the provisions of Sec- tion 9 of the scheme, it is hereby adjourned sine die."

The resolution was adopted, the vote being as fol- lows : Ayes, Judges Speck, Heller, Finncy, and Conrades ; Noes, Judges Allen and Dailey.

The following figures afford a brief summary of the report of the Board of Finance. The funded debt of

1875

COUNTY OF SAINT LOUIS.

the former county, assumed by the city, was declared to be $6,824,000 ; all other claims against the county, $9065.35. The necessary current expenses of the county prior to Oct. 22, 1876, were $92,575.83, and the receipts from Oct. 21 to May 31, 1877, exclusive of special funds, $547,704.11; total, $640,279.94. To ascertain the divisible balance there must be de- ducted from this sum as follows: Current expenses and other claims accrued and paid from Oct. 21, 1876, to May 31, 1877, $423,291.07, and amount of out- standing claims, $30,079.92, leaving the balance to be divided $186,908.95. On the basis of the as- sesscd valuation of city and county for 1876, this balance, divided proportionately, gives : City's share, $164,414.30, and the county's sharc, $22,491.65.

The location of the county-seat at Clayton led to some annoying litigation. An injunction was sought to restrain the county authorities from the erection of buildings there, on the ground that the place had not been legally selected as the county-scat. After due hearing, however, the application for an injunction was refuscd.

The following extracts from a St. Louis journal 1 shows what were the views entertained by some at the time concerning the separation, and the effect at first on the taxes levicd in the new county :

" Our neighbors of the county have good reasons for the con- gratulations they indulge in over their condition. Their court- house will not cost them, it is said, over thirty thousand dollars, and they have the means to pay for it already on hand. It and the jail connected with it will furnish ample accommodations for the public business for half a century to come. Clayton is only about eight miles from this city, and will in a year or two be connected with it by a narrow-gauge railroad. The new county possesses many marked advantages,-the suburban boundary, twenty-five miles in extent, of a great and growing city, seventy miles of completed railroad, seventy-five miles of gravel and macadamized road, a hundred and twenty-five miles of good common highway with bridges and culverts, a population of forty thousand, and a taxable wealth of over twenty million dollars, and a long water-line formed by three rivers, whose valleys and bluffs afford a fertility of soil and a beauty of scenery which together can hardly be equaled in nny similar arca in the United States.

" The people of the county have no regrets to waste over separation, even though it has deprived them of the three hun- dred thousand to three hundred and fifty thousand dollars per annum which the old County Court was accustomed to expend on their roads and bridges. They find that they are able to keep up their highways with one-tenth of this enormous expenditure, while the decided advantages of having control of their own administration are brought out in every day's experience. All things considered, they liave made a good beginning in self- government, and if they keep on as they have begun, will have increasing reasons for rejoicing at the severance of a connection which had become injurious to both eity and county.

" The St. Louis County Court has fixed the tax levy for county purposes for the present year at thirty-five cents on tlic one

hundred dollars,-ten cents for roads and bridges and twenty- five cents for other purposes. This is n reduction of five cents on the levy of last year. The State taxes (for revenue and interest) are forty cents; the total rates, therefore, are seventy- five cents on the one hundred dollars. This, however, does not include the school tax, which is fixed by the district school boards, and varies from twenty-five to fifty cents. The taxable property in the county is twenty-two million dollars. The tax rate fixed upon will therefore yield, theoretically, seventy-seven thousand dollars, of which about twenty-two thousand dollars will go to the maintenance of roads and bridges, and fifty-five thousand dollars for other county purposes.

" Under the old régime the people of the county were accus- tomed to pay about forty-five cents county tax and seven and one-half cents back tax, making a total of fifty-two and one-half cents on the one hundred dollars. The present rate of thirty- five cents is seventeen and one-half cents less, and this although the new county is engaged in erecting its public buildings."

COUNTY BUILDINGS .- John Snyder was appointed superintendent of public buildings, and under his supervision the court-house and jail were erected by Rude and Luke, of St. Louis. The corner-stone was laid on the 9th of May, 1878, and the ceremony was witnessed by more than three thousand people. The Masons of St. Louis had been invited to take charge of the affair.

There were portions of four commandcries of the Templars, in full regalia, commanded by John S. Parsons, Grand Commander. Among them was the committee of Knights Templar of the county, com- poscd of Judge Henderson, T. E. Garrett, and F. V. Westlake; also W. H. Goodin, E. C .; Robert Mc- Culloch, E. C .; Arle De Jong, E. C .; Thomas M. Wannall, P. G. M .; and John A. Sloan, E. C. Among the Masons werc Missouri Lodge, No. 1; St. Louis Lodge, No. 20; Kirkwood Lodge, No. 484 ; Bonhomme Lodge, No. 45; Fenton Lodge, No. 28; Bridgton Lodge, No. 80; Lambskin Lodge, No. 460 ; Eureka Lodge ; and Occidental Lodge, No. 163. The following officers were present : Thomas G. Reddy, G. M. of the State ; Joseph B. Austin, G. M .; John W. Luke, D. G. M .; D. N. Burgoyne, S. G. W .; W. H. Stone, J. G. W .; William H. Mayo, G.S .; W. H. Fox, S. G. D .; D. O. Butterfield, J. G. D .; M. Eli, S. G. S .; G. W. Sellers, J. G. S .; John W. Davis, Bearer of Lights ; John C. Bloomfield, G. M .; George Thorp, G. Treas .; Thomas H. Benton, P. G. M .; Frederic L. Billon, P. G. T. and S.

On arriving at the ground, Judge J. C. Edwards called the assemblage to order, and nominated Judge Hunton, who was chosen to preside.

Alfred Carr was elected secretary, and then Hon. John F. Darby presented to the secretary an old Bible, and asked that an inscription therein be read. It was read, as follows: "In 1830 two young men, George Cornwell and Richard Tunis, came to the State of

1 St. Louis Republican, May 10 and 22, 1878.

1876

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

Missouri as merchants from Philadelphia. When George Cornwell left home his mother gave him this morocco-bound Bible. He died in St. Louis in 1832, and before he died he gave this Bible to his friend, Richard Tunis, and he, in turn, gave it to John F. Darby, who has had it in his possession forty-six years this 9th day of May, 1878. John F. Darby deposited with his own hands this Bible in the place for the reception of momentoes in this corner-stone of the new court-house of St. Louis County."

It was ordered that the book be so deposited.

The ceremony of laying the corner-stone was then performed, after the ritual of the Masonic order, and a brief address, appropriate to the occasion, refer- ring chiefly to Masonry, was delivered by Thomas G. Reddy, Grand Master, who presided at the cere- monies.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY COURT-HOUSE.

The contents of the box were as follows : 1. Dced of Ralph 1 Clayton to the county for one hundred acres of land. 2. Deed of M. F. Hanley and wife to the county for four acres. 3. Re- port of the committee which sclected the site for county-seat. 4. Order for election under said report. 5. Report of county clerk on said eleetion. 6. Constitution of State Grange. 7. Communication from Grand Master of State Grange with refer- ence to grangers in St. Louis County. S. First and last copies of the Connty Mail. 9. List of directors and pupils of Clayton schools. 10. Constitution of State. 11. Scheme and charter. 12. Constitution of Grand Lodge of State of Missouri, A. F. and A. M. 13. Proceedings of Grand Lodge of State in 1877. 14.

Two ancient coins, presented by Ralph Clayton. 15. Copies of Republican, Times, and Globe-Democrat. 16. Holy Bible, pre- sented by Mr. Darby. 17. Copy of St. Louis Herald. 18. New silver dollar, with name of Judge J. C. Edwards and wife en- graved. 19. Photographs of Judge Edwards and Henry T. Mudd. 20. Contributions from Judge Conway, as follows : one Continental bill for thirty dollars, issued under act of Congress of January, 1799 ; one bill for a shilling, issued by New Jersey in 1776; one bill for a shilling, issued by Connecticut in 1776; one United States gold quarter of a dollar, a dime, a half- dime, three threc-cent pieces and a copper, a lot of stamps. 21. Copy of Declaration of Independence. 22. Two-thirds of a dollar scrip of Aug. 14, 1776, presented by John P. Helfen- stein. 23. Copy of Journal of Agriculture. 24. A silver quarter.

After the box was in place, John Studdert, con- tractor for the masonry, stepped forward and per- formed the mechanical part of the work.

Addresses were delivered by Judge Hunton, Mr. Eshbaugh, of the State Grange, Patrons of Hus- bandry, Lieutenant-Governor Brockmeyer, Col. N. Claiborne, R. H. Kern, Gen. Shields, R. Graham Frost, and Judge Ed- wards. Among those present were noted

Judge W. C. Jones, Judge Charles F. Cady, Lieu- tenant-Governor Brockmeyer, H. Clay Sexton, George Knapp, Waldo P. Johnson, John G. Kelly, John Knapp, Judge W. W. Edwards, Hon. John F. Darby, Judge James C. Edwards, L. R. Beach, Capt. Conway, John Belleville, James Doyle, Capt. Henry Burgess, Capt. Warren Fox, Capt. William Lee, Judge John F. Farrar, Judge H. L. Sutton, Joseph T. Tatum, Deputy-Marshals Lenori, Coff, Reinstaedtler, Blanchard, and Overbeck, J. R. Clai- borne, N. C. Claiborne, Michael Fortin, Aldermen Henry, Barbee, Updike, Crawshaw, and Conrades, Councilmen Campbell and Rude, Dr. Wortman, L. Harrigan, Dr. P. S. Yost, Capt. Joseph A. Brown, A. P. Johnston, Henry Eshbaugh, Rev. Dr. Booth, M. A. Rosenblatt, T. B. Estep, J. M. Loring, S. H. Laflin, Andrew J. Clabby, William Pfister, Erastus Wells, Franklin Utz, Eugene Streble, Nicholas Bell, Col. Butler, Charles Costello, Joseph L. Hyatt, A. W. Mead, Judge Henderson, T. T. January, W. H. H. Russell, Ashton P. Johnson, William D. Clay- ton, John McMennamy, Samuel James, Louis Kessler, Dr. William Cousland, Alex. McElhany, Thomas Fitzwilliams, Joseph Maher, M. D. Lewis, Dr. O'Brien, Dr. Isaiah Forbes, Dr. Diggs, Willis Hord, Alfred Carr, Leon De Lisle, William N. Belt, H. B. Belt, Capt. I. M. Mason, Gen. Marmaduke, V. T. Crawford, Charles L. Hunt, Judge Lanham, William Sutton, Charles Heussler, Robert W. Goodc, Dr. A. C. Robinson, T. J. Sappington, John I. Martin, W. H. Swift, C. E. Wells, J. C. Marshall, John Finn, Max Gumpert, Judge Wielandy, William Kreiter, Judge Wolff, Judge Walton, William Drake, John W. Drake, John F. Ryan, Thomas J. Henly, R. Molencott, Fred. Huey, Thomas Cleary, Robert McIlvaine, Judge Studt, M. W. Hogan, W. A. Brawner, Henri Chomeau, John A. Massey, Henry T. Mudd, J. P. Thomas, Lyman Thomas, James Hardy, Dr. Henderson, Emil Bessehl, F. D. Turner, D. D. Duncan, Col. Benjamin Emmons, William A. Alexander, William L. Yosti, Albert Matlack.

1877

COUNTY OF SAINT LOUIS.

The court-house was first occupied Dee. 9, 1878. Its size is one hundred and six feet front eentre, wings projeet ten feet, the side-fronts of the end wings are fifty-two feet, and the centre wing is seventy-three feet deep. It has two stories above the basement, which is nine feet in height; the first story has a height of fourteen feet six inches, and the second of seventeen feet six inches. From the ground to the top of the cornice is forty-five feet, and to the top of the dome is one hundred and twenty-five feet. In the basement are rooms for storage and three offices. The first floor is divided into offices and the Probate Court room, and the upper story ineludes the Cireuit and County Court rooms, the offices of the prosecuting attorney and the eireuit elerk, the judges' rooms, and the necessary jury-rooms. It is a briek structure, and is tastefully finished.

The jail, which stands near the court-house, is eon- neeted with it by a corridor ten feet wide and sixteen feet long. This is also a briek building, two stories in height, thirty-two by thirty-five feet in size. It has two corridors, and the cells are of iron. The eost of the two buildings was thirty-eight thousand dollars.

CIVIL LIST .- The officers of St. Louis County since its separation from the eity have been :

PRESIDING JUDGES OF COUNTY COURT .- Henry L. Sutton, 1877-78; George W. Brouster, 1879-82; William A. Hequem- bourg, 1883-86.

ASSOCIATE JUDGES .- First District, James C. Edwards, 1877- 78; Robert C. Schencko, 1879-80 ; Fritz Kraut, 1881-84. Second District, Joseph Conway, 1877-78; Francis Rewwe, 1879-82; John A. Shore, 1883-84.

PROBATE JUDGES .- James A. Henderson, 1877-82; George W. Brouster, 1883-86.

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History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 191

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898 Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts Number of Pages: 1358

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358