USA > Missouri > History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 39
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It is famous for its educational institutions, which include a good system of public schools, parochial schools of two or three churches, St. Vincent's Academy for Young Ladies, St. Vincent's College, Moothhardt's Business Col- lege, and the State Normal school. About three thousand students are enrolled in its schools every year.
There are church organizations of the fol- lowing denominations : Baptist, Catholic, Christian, Christian Science, Evangelical, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, besides negro churches. Nearly all of these possess a house of worship and the Catholics have two and the Methodists three.
There are four banks in the town. The Sturdivant, which is the oldest bank in South- east Missouri, was organized in 1866 and now has a capital stock of $100,000. The First National was organized in 1892 and has a cap- ital of $100,000. The Farmers and Merchants
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Bank was organized in 1904 and has a capital stock of $15,000. The Southeast Missouri Trust Company was organized in 1906, and its capital is $500,000. All these banks are housed in commodious aud beautiful struc- tures erected for them.
Another institution which contributes much to the town is the St. Francis Hospital con- ducted by the Catholic Sisters of St. Francis.
In 1905 was begun the construction of the Cape Girardeau and Jackson Interurban Railway. At present it operates electric street cars in Cape Girardeau alone, though it will ultimately be extended to connect other towns in this section.
At present there are three miles of paved streets and others are projected.
Some notable buildings beside those men- tioned are the Elks Club, the Himmelberger- Harrison office building, the Federal building, the courthouse of the court of common pleas. This latter, which occupies a commanding site on the bluff above the river, has been a land- mark of Cape Girardeau for many years.
The town is on the main line of the Frisco from St. Louis to Memphis, and is the terminal point for the Hoxie branch of the Frisco, the St. Louis & Gulf, also owned by the Frisco, the Chicago and Eastern Illinois, the Cape Girardeau-Chester, and the Thebes Terminal. Good roads radiate in every direction from the town and add much to its trade.
There are two papers published in the town, The Cape County Herald, a weekly, and The Republican, both daily and weekly. The Herald is published in a well-equipped and The Republican owns one of the most complete printing plants in the state. Another business institution is the Cape Girardeau Bell Telephone Co., operating exchanges at Cape Girardeau and Jackson, and toll lines through a considerable part of this section.
The town has a good system of waterworks, electric lights and gas, all operated by the same company.
FOUNDING OF JACKSON
Jackson was founded, as we have said, in 1815. It was put upon an improved farm which was purchased from William H. Ash- ley. Surrounding the town there were a num- ber of settlements. Ou the west was the farm of Col. William Neely, on the north that of Joseph Seawell and on the south that of William Daugherty. The town grew rapidly after the sale of lots and in 1818 its popula- tion was three hundred or more. Some one described it as a "considerable village on the hill with the Kentucky outline of dead trees and huge logs lying on all sides of the fields." The population of the town consisted largely of young people who had been gathered from every quarter. There were only a few stores, three or four in number, some blacksmith shops, several taverns and boarding houses, a tan yard, a printing office, a court house and jail, and there was also erected in the early times a little building constructed of logs which was used as a school house. Rev. Tim- othy Flint, who came to the town in 1819, was very unfavorably impressed and spoke in a very derogatory manner of the town and its inhabitants. He said of them that they were entirely without interest; that they were ex- tremely rough, most of them ignorant and bigoted, and inclined to think that sectarian- ism should atone for the want of morals and decency. Flint, however, seems to have had some prejudice in the matter.
Long, who visited the town in 1819, says (Long's Expedition, p. 85) : "On our April expedition we came to Jackson, the seat of justice for the county of Cape Gir- ardeau, and after St. Louis and St. Charles
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one of the best towns of Missouri. It lies about eleven or twelve miles northwest of the old town of Cape Girardeau on the Missis- sippi, and is surrounded by hilly and fertile tracts of country, at this time rapidly increas- ing in wealth and population. Jackson is what is called a thriving village and contains at present more than fifty houses which, though built of logs, seem to aspire to a de- gree of importance unknown to the humble dwellings of the scattered and solitary settlers assumed an appearance of superiority similar to that we immediately distinguished in the appearance and manners of the people."
FIRST INSTITUTIONS AND PERSONS
The first store was that of Eckhardt, who came to Jackson from Virginia. He sold his store later to Clifton and Mothershead. An- other of the early merchants was Samnel Cupples, a son-in-law of Judge Thomas. Jos- ephi Frizzell was another of these merchants. He was a son-in-law of Col. George F. Bol- linger and opened his store about 1817. David Armour and John Juden were partners in a business conducted on the opposite corner from Frizzell. It is related of them that they sent Robert Morrison with a wagon and team to Baltimore and that he returned with a load of goods in about three months. Other mer- chants were George H. Scripps, Nathan Van- horn, and Doctor Thomas Neal. Neal's store was at the corner of Main street and the pub- lie square. Col. William McGuire, who was one of the prominent citizens in the town, and afterward a member of the state legislature, came to Jackson in 1818. He operated a tan yard. A still house was conducted by Caleb B. Fullenwider ; he was also a prominent citi- zen, being elected judge of the county court and afterward clerk of the court. A mechanic shop was conducted by John Delap. Taverns
and houses of entertainment were kept by James Edwards, Thomas Stewart, William Sheppard, and John Armstrong. Some other residents of the town at this early date were Louis Painter, who was a saddler, two black- smiths named John Glascock and Samuel Mitchell; Edward Criddle, William Surrell, William Hand, C. G. Houts and E. D'Lash- nutt; the last named were merchants. Peter R. Garrett was clerk of the court and after- ward clerk of the county court. We have already mentioned some of the prominent lawyers, and T. E. Strange who published the first paper, the Missouri Herald.
The first physicians in the town were Dr. Zenas Priest and Dr. Thomas Neale. The former came from New York and was for years one of the leading physicians of the county. Dr. Neale was from Virginia, but had formerly lived in New Madrid. Dr. Can- non was another early physician. He was a native of North Carolina and married a daughter of Governor Dunklin. He took great interest in politics and was elected lieutenant governor of the state in 1836.
During this period (1820-1860), Jackson, which had been made the county seat of Cape Girardeau county, continued to grow quite rapidly. Among the merchants prominent in the town during this period were: William F. Graham, who began business about 1822 and sold his stock to Ralph Gill about 1826; Charles Welling, H. L. Sloan, John W. Gayle, A. H. Brevard, Jacob Kneibert, George M. Beattie, John Albert and brother, J. J. Turn- bangh and J. S. McGuire.
Charles Welling began business in Jackson in 1831, and for a period of fifty-seven years carried it on at practically the same site on Main street.
The first bank in Jackson was opened in 1841. It was a branch of the state bank. Its
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president was A. H. Brevard, and Thomas P. have been the trustees or members of the English was cashier. The bank was very prosperous and did a very large business until its removal to Cape Girardeau in 1853. In 1852 it was examined by a committee from the legislature which reported that its assets then amounted to $340,850 and its circulation was $199,050. During the fifteen years of its existenee its net profits were $79,628. This branch was disposed of in 1857 when its assets were purchased by Robert Sturdivant, who removed it to Cape Girardeau.
As we have said in another place, the first newspaper in Southeast Missouri was pub- lished at Jackson, and during this period there was published, almost constantly, a newspaper under some name or other. A list of these is given in the chapter on newspapers.
The town suffered very greatly from ehol- era. The first epidemic was in 1833. Among those who died were Col. Alexander Buckner and wife. The total deaths at this time were 128, and the cholera reappeared in 1849, but there was only one death at that time. It was again in town in 1852, and this time it swept away a large number of the inhabitants.
During this period before the war, the schools were private schools. They were taught either by some person who aeted en- tirely on his own account, or else were eon- ducted by chartered associations, as was true in the case of the Jackson Academy. This association was incorporated in 1820 and erected its first building, a two-story brick, in 1838.
CIVIL GOVERNMENT
Jackson was incorporated in 1819, but there seems to have been no organization of the government of the town until 1828. In that year Nathaniel Vanhorn, Franklin Cannon, G. W. Davis and Edward Criddle seem to
council. They were chosen at an election held by William G. Kennett and Joel Blunt, commissioners appointed by the county court. They passed ordinances and rules for the gov- ernment of the board. In 1831 George W. Juden was clerk, and Welton O'Bannon was town constable. The organization seems then to have lapsed and there is no record of any business transacted by it until 1847. At that time incorporation was revived, and an elec- tion held which resulted in the choice of N. M. Watkins, Charles Welling, A. J. Brevard, Jason Watson and Cyrus Walker as trustees. In 1859, the town secured a special charter from the legislature and the first trustees under the new organization were: Thomas B. English, Jolmn W. McGuire, Jacob Neidert and Chas. Litterer.
PRESENT COUNTY SEAT
Just as was the fate of all other towns of this section, Jackson suffered greatly during the war, though not to the extent of some others. It began to improve, however. The coming of the railroad. a branch of the Iron Mountain which was built from Allenville in 1884. added greatly to the town's prosperity. Its population is now 2,105, and is rapidly increasing. There are about fifty business establishments of various kinds, most of which are doing a flourishing business. There are a number of good general stores earrying large and varied stocks of goods. There are two large flouring mills, a creamery, packing house, heading factory, brick kiln, and other smaller factories. There are two banks in the town. The Cape County Savings Bank was organized in the 80's. It has a capital of $50,000. The Jackson Exchange Bank was organized in 1894. Its capital is $20,000.
The possession of the county seat adds mueh
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to the importance of the town. The court house occupies a commanding site in the center of the public square. It was erected in 1908, and is a well-constructed and commodious building. The usual church organizations are found, most of which have good buildings. The largest and most costly church edifice is that of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, recently erected at a cost of $40,000.
Jackson has a good system of public schools with a well-organized high school. There are two weekly newspapers, The Missouri Cash- book and The Volkesfreund, which is a Ger- man paper. Besides the branch of the Iron Mountain the town is situated on the Cape Girardeau and Chester Railroad, which was constructed in 1904, from Cape Girardeau to Chester. There is a fine rock road from Jack- son to Cape Girardeau.
BURFORDVILLE
Burfordville, in Cape Girardeau county, was known for a good many years as Bol- linger's Mill. It is situated on Whitewater river at the place where Major George Fred- erick Bollinger made a settlement about the year 1800 and where he for many years oper- ated a mill. Other families besides the Bol- linger family, who lived in the vicinity in
the early times, were the Daughertys and Frisselles. It was incorporated as a town in the year 1900 and the first mayor was F. B. Meyer. The town now has four general stores and a furniture making establishment and a large flour mill. Its population is 114.
APPLETON
Appleton, a village on Apple Creek, in Cape Girardeau county was founded in 1824. The first residents seem to have been John McClain and John Schlotz. Among the early merchants were Kimmel and Taylor, George Clodfelter and W. H. McClain. The first mill was built by Alfred McClain.
POCAHONTAS AND OAK RIDGE
Pocahontas was first settled in 1856 and organized as a village in 1861.
Oak Ridge, in Apple Creek township, ten miles northwest of Jackson, was settled about 1852. It is now a flourishing town with a population of 256. It is surrounded by a good farming community, and has a large flouring mill. It supports a good public school and there are several stores and other business establishments. The Bank of Oak Ridge was organized in 1904, and has a cap- ital stock of $10,000.
CHAPTER XIX
NEW MADRID AND MADISON COUNTIES
BLOWS TO NEW MADRID-INCORPORATED AS A CITY-LONG THE COUNTY SEAT-POINT PLEASANT -PORTAGEVILLE-FREDERICKTOWN.
We have set out that New Madrid was in- corporated in 1808. It grew slowly, however, and in 1811 contained only two stores and a few houses. Many of the inhabitants of the town moved away after the earthquake, and . for several years affairs were at a standstill. The town was greatly benefited, however, by being selected as the seat of justice for the county. This was in 1822. In 1834 the town was reincorporated by the county court, and again in 1868. The trustees in 1834 were: William Pierrepont, Geo. G. Alford, Dr. Rob- ert D. Dawson, Ashael Smith and Alphonse Delaroderie.
The early merchants were: Robert G. Watson, Robert McCoy, Matteo Bogliolo and Geo. G. Alford. In the decade from 1840 to 1850 business was transacted by H. T. Maulsby, Napoleon LeSieur, B. Powell, Rich- ard J. Waters, Samuel Allen, W. B. Harper and Thomas Dowd. In 1856 the merchants were: Allen, Waters, R. A. Hatcher & Co., Hunter & Watson, F. V. LeSieur, T. J. O. Morrison, and Warrington & Pennell.
BLOWS TO NEW MADRID
The town suffered greatly during the war, as did most southeast towns. It was the scene of several skirmishes and battles. During 1862 General Pope laid regular siege to it.
The Confederate forces defending the town were numerous and well-armed and several Confederate gunboats were in the river. Pope landed near the town with a large force, but doubted his ability to carry it by assault or to hold it in face of the fire from the gun- boats. He accordingly contented himself at first with surrounding it as far as possible and ordered heavy guns from Cairo for a siege. The attack on New Madrid was a part of the movement for opening the river, and had for its immediate object the capture of the strong- ly fortified post of Island Ten. Finally, not being able to dislodge the Confederates from New Madrid, he took possession of Point Pleasant and New Madrid was evacuated. It had been repeatedly fired upon and suffered from this and other attacks. Many houses were burned and much property destroyed.
One thing which dealt a blow to the pros- perity of New Madrid during and after the war was the destruction of the Blanton plank road. This road led across the Little River swamp to West Prairie, near Clarkton. It offered the people of Dunklin and Stoddard counties access to river transportation at New Madrid and drew a considerable trade to that town. Its destruction cut off this trade and caused it to seek other outlets.
In spite of these various misfortunes, the
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citizens did not lose faith in the final prosper- ity of their town and they did not abandon it. It grew slowly during the years, its prosperity keeping pace with the opening and improving of the land about it.
INCORPORATED AS A CITY
In 1878 the town was incorporated as a city of the second class. John W. Brownell was mayor and the aldermen were H. C. Latham, T. H. Digges, John E. Powell, and F. Kopp. Since that time the city government has been maintained and the town has had a prosper- ous history.
Some of the merchants, following the in- corporation, have been Mann Bros., G. V. LeSieur, H. C. Latham, Hunter & Mathew- son, Lilburn Lewis, Henry Jasper, T. H. Digges, and Parks & Akin. At the present time there are some forty business establish- ments, including general stores, special mer- cantile establishments of various kinds, and some manufacturing plants. The latter in- clude some woodworking plants, cotton gins, electric light and water works plant, and grist mills.
The town is situated on a branch of the St. Louis Southwestern, which runs from Lil- bourn to New Madrid. There has just been . constructed a new railroad from Marston on the Frisco to New Madrid. This was built by home capital, having been promoted by E. S. McCarty, who has built a number of lines in this part of the state and northeast Arkansas. This is an unusually well-con- structed and equipped line and will probably be extended to connect with other systems.
LONG THE COUNTY SEAT
New Madrid has been the county seat for many years, but has been unfortunate in having the court house destroyed by fire.
Other towns have desired the removal of the county seat, and while they have not so far been able to secure its removal, they have been able to prevent the rebuilding of the court house at New Madrid.
There has recently been erected a new and commodious Catholic church, which is an or- nament to the town. There are two other churches, the Methodists having recently built a well-arranged brick building for their use. The town maintains a good public school, hav- ing a large brick school building. There are two weekly papers, the Weekly Record and the Southeast Missourian. They are both well-edited and influential papers.
The present population is 1,882. New Mad- rid is well situated. It is at the lower end of the great sand ridge known as the Sikeston ridge. Its soil is fertile, there are some fine shade trees, and the town presents a pleas- ing appearance. Just south of the town is a great Indian mound, which local tradition says is the site of De Soto's camp. The site is not that of the original town, as that has long since been swept away by the river.
POINT PLEASANT
Point Pleasant, in New Madrid county, was settled in 1815 by Francois LeSieur. He conducted a store until his death in 1826. John Woodward operated a combined hotel and store at the same place. Steamboats, however, were prevented from landing at the town because of the formation of a sand bar in the river, and for this reason the business of the town was transferred to a new site about one mile further south. On this new site there had been a wood-yard in operation since 1817. It was conducted by Alphonse Delaroderie. It was in 1846 that the new town was laid off and building begun. The first houses erected for business were ware-
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houses. They were built by John Woodward and Pleasant Bishop. The first merchant of the town was John J. Cox.
For years the town was an important and flourishing one. Large stores were ereeted. The population grew. An academy was char- tered in the early days and all indications pointed to the place as designed for the site of a thriving eity. Unfortunately for its in- habitants, the river began to encroach upon the town. At first the caving was just south of the main part of the town. Gradually it extended up the river, until many of the houses had to be moved back. So rapidly did the bank cave in at times that it was almost impossible to remove the houses fast enough to save them. After several successive re- movals, the site was abandoned by many of the residents, who were attraeted by the growth of Portageville, which began to ae- quire importance through the construction of the Frisco Railroad through it. These causes greatly reduce the population of Point Pleas- ant and the historie name is preserved by only a handful of houses.
PORTAGEVILLE
Portageville, in the south part of New Mad- rid county, now a flourishing town, had its beginning in 1848, when Edward Meatte and Charles Davis established a store there. In 1851 Robert G. Franklin sueceeded them.
Later Edward DeLisle became interested in the place and carried on a mereantile es- tablishment for many years. Others eame and the town grew slowly. Two eauses at last made it an important and flourishing town: the ruin of Point Pleasant and sub- sequent removal of many of its inhabitants further from the river, and the building of the Frisco Railroad. The land about Portage- ville is fertile and when it was cleared up
and drained, the farming interests thus made possible gave an impetus to the town. Its present population is 987 and is rapidly in- creasing. It has wood-working plants and cotton gins, besides general and other stores.
The Farmers Bank was organized in 1905 and has a capital of $20,000. The Portage- ville Bank was chartered in 1903. Its capital is $20,000. There is a good system of public schools and the usual church organizations.
FREDERICKTOWN
This town, which was the successor of St. Michaels, was laid off in 1819. The land was owned by Nathaniel Cook and the commis- sioners appointed to set out the limits of the town were Theodore F. Tong, John Burdette, Joseph Bennett and Henry Whitener. The first stores in the town were owned by S. A. Guignon, S. B. Pratte and Moses and Caleb Cox.
Not much growth was made by Frederick- town until after the building of the Belmont branch of the Iron Mountain Railroad. There was always some business transacted, and the list of merchants includes six or eight names at any particular time, but the growth was, on the whole, slow for many years. The first paper published in Fredericktown was a Free Soil paper, ealled The Espial. It was estab- lished in 1847 by James Lindsay. An ae- count of the other newspaper enterprises of the town is given in the chapter on news- papers. The first lodge was organized No- vember 25, 1848. This was Mareus Lodge, A. F. & A. M. The meetings were held in the court house for a time, and F. L. Sullivan was the first temporary master.
The town was incorporated for the first time in May, 1868, and on November 28, 1903. it was incorporated as a city of the third class, The first mayor was R. Albert. There are now
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four general stores in the town and about fifty other business institutions, but no factories of any considerable importance. There are three banks and the town is supplied with electric lights. The Union American Lead Company owns and has operated mines in the vicinity of the town, but the company has suspended operations for some time. Among the impor- tant interests of Fredericktown are Marvin college, and its good system of public schools. In another place we gave an account of the founding and some of the history of the col- lege, which attracts to the town a number of students and families who come for the pur- pose of educating their children.
During the last four or five years Frederick- town has suffered in an unusual way from
calamities, a number of destructive fires have swept away some of the best and most impor- tant buildings and, too, the town has been damaged by serious floods ; it is situated on the Little St. Francois river and some of the town is on ground subject to inundation. Its situa- tion is a delightful one and few places offer a more pleasant site for residence than Fred- ericktown. Its population is 2,632. It is situated on the Belmont branch of the Iron Mountain Railroad and is now and has been for many years the county seat of Madison county.
There are two weekly newspapers published in the town. The Democrat-News is Demo- cratic in politics and The Tribune is Repub- lican.
CHAPTER XX WASHINGTON AND PERRY COUNTIES
POTOSI LAID OUT AND INCORPORATED-OLD MINES-CALEDONIA - PERRYVILLE - LONGTOWN - ALTENBURG.
Potosi, the county seat of Washington county situated in Breton township at the end of the branch line of the Iron Mountain Railroad, is one of the oldest towns in this part of the state, the first settlement having been made in that town in 1763. At first it was called Mine a Breton, but the name was changed to Potosi when the town was incor- porated in 1826. It is impossible to tell who erected the first house in Potosi, though it is supposed that it was a member of the Valle 'amily of Ste. Genevieve. The first settlers at the place came because of the lead mine which was discovered by Francois Breton ; the permanent settlement of the place dates from about-1790 and its principal growth began with the coming of Moses Austin, who secured 1 large grant of land from the Spanish gov- ernment. Austin made his home at Potosi or Mine a Breton, as it was then called, and built for himself a stone house known as Durham Hall. It was the finest residence west of the Mississippi river for a great many years and was burned in 1872. Austin also erected a large smelting plant, being the first ·everberatory furnace in Missouri. He was also interested in other enterprises and did much for the building up of the town. When Louis- iana was transferred to the United States in 1808 there were twenty families at Mine a
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