USA > Missouri > History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 69
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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
link in a new north and south system, prob- ably extending from the bridge at Thebes, into Arkansas. Plans are already on foot for immediately increasing its mileage to eighty, and the probabilities are that actual work on the construction will soon be begun.
The Paragould Southeastern is a line of railroad extending from Paragould, Arkan- sas, to the southeast, crossing the St. Fran- cois river near Cardwell, in Dunklin county. It is built across the south end of Dunklin county, reaching Little river at Hornersville. A few miles east of Hornersville it turns to the south and enters Arkansas and has its eastern terminus at Blytheville, near the Mis- sissippi. This road opens up immense tracts of farming and timber land in Dunklin county and has been a prime factor in the building up of Cardwell and Hornersville. It was built and originally owned by local capitalists under leadership of E. S. Mc- Carthy. It is now owned by the Gould sys- tem and is operated by the St. Louis South- western.
About 1905 the Illinois Southern, an Illi- nois road with headquarters at Chicago, entered this territory. It was built from Salem to a point opposite Ste. Genevieve. It was constructed through Ste. Genevieve and St. Francois counties to Bismarck, in the lat- ter county, on the main line of the Iron Mountain. The road passes through the richest mineral section of the state. One of its important stations is Flat River, in the very center of the lead belt. The road is well built and operated after the best methods. It unites the great system of the Iron Moun- tain and 'Frisco; serves a rich county and offers an outlet to Chicago. It is destined to be an important link in an east and west line,
and will be of great benefit to the section which it serves.
The Missouri Southern, which extends from Leeper, in Wayne county, on the main line of the Iron Mountain, nearly through Reynolds county to Bunker, was built by a saw-mill company having large timber in- terests in the territory traversed by the road. A large steel bridge across Black river was built at Leeper and the road was well con- structed. Its present terminus is Bunker, in Reynolds county. Plans have been formed for its extension to the 'Frisco at Salem, in Dent county, but it is probable that it will become a branch of the Iron Mountain.
The Paragould & Memphis Railroad, ex- tending from Paragould, Arkansas, through the south part of Dunklin county to Manila, Arkansas, is 118 miles long. It was developed from a tram road built to facilitate the hand- ling of timber by the Decatur Egg Case Com- pany, a large corporation with headquarters at Cardwell. Out of this tram road has grown the Paragould & Memphis. The presi- dent of the road is John W. Vail, of Card- well, Mo., and most of the other officers are residents of the same town. Although its line is principally in Arkansas, it is distinctly a Missouri enterprise. Its successful develop- ment has been due in part to the energy and ability of the men who built it and in part to the fact that it opened up immense tracts of valuable timber and farming land pre- viously without railroad facilities.
The Butler County Railroad Company operates a short line in Butler county, Mis- souri, and Arkansas. It extends from Lin- stead and Lowell Junction, on the Iron Mountain, to Arkansas points and is operated as a timber road in large part. The present president of the road is R. M. Parker.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
About 1905 a company composed of busi- ness men and capitalists of St. Francois county was organized for the purpose of con- structing an eleetrie line through the lead belt. That section has an enormous popula- tion and it was thought by the promoters that an interurban line would be of great benefit to the country and also a paying investment. The line was built from Flat River, on the Illinois Southern and the Mississippi river and Bonne Terre railroads, south and west to Farmington, the county seat, and then to DeLassus, on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern. The road was well-built and first- class equipment provided for it. The ex- pectations of its builders were fully met as it at once received a heavy traffic.
It not only carries passengers, but operates freight and express service as well. It has
become of immense inportance in its seetion and will be an important link in the inter- urban line which will doubtless be built in the near future from St. Louis south through Southeast Missouri.
At the present time this is the only inter- urban line in the section. The Cape Girard- ean & Jackson Interurban Company was organized in 1905, but up to this time it has not extended its lines outside the eity of Cape Girardean. Its plans are to unite the latter place with Jackson and also with the towns near the Thebes bridge. The development of the country in wealth and population, and the demand for better transportation will doubtless lead to the building of other elec- tric lines within a few years, some of which are already under consideration.
CHAPTER XXXVII
GENERAL STATUS
LOCATION - AREA - TOPOGRAPHY - TIMBER - INDUSTRIES - TRANSPORTATION - TOWNS -POPULATION - SCHOOLS - WEALTH - BOLLINGER - BUTLER - CAPE GIRARDEAU -- CAR- TER - DUNKLIN - IRON - JEFFERSON - MADISON - MISSISSIPPI - NEW MADRID - PEMI- SCOT - PERRY - REYNOLDS - RIPLEY - ST. FRANCOIS - STE. GENEVIEVE - SCOTT - STODDARD - WASHINGTON - WAYNE.
The sketches embraced in this chapter are designed to present a general pen-picture of the counties of Southeast Missouri embraced in this work. The counties are given in alpha- betical order.
Bollinger county joins Cape Girardeau on the west. It contains 394,240 acres, about one-third of which is under cultivation; the other two-thirds being unimproved and cov- ered with timber. The principal timbers are oak, hickory and walnut on the hills, and gum and cypress in the valleys of the rivers and streams. The county is almost wholly ag- ricultural in character, the chief products be- ing those of the farm. In addition to these products a large amount of lumber is shipped out every year. In 1910 there were shipped more than nine million feet of lumber. The north part of the county is rolling, partly broken and there is a considerable area of un- cultivated land that is capable of cultivation. The southern part of the county extends unto the edge of the lowlands.
The population of Bollinger county is prin- cipally American born, there being only a few negroes, and not a great many settlements have any large number of foreign immi-
grants. The population in 1910 was 14,576, and the assessable wealth of the county is $2,797,570. There are 89 school districts, employing 94 teachers and the number of children enumerated in 1910 was 4,781.
The principal towns are Marble Hill, which is the county seat, and Lutesville; besides these there are Glen Allen, Bessville, Sturdi- vant, Zalma and some other smaller places.
The principal streams in the county are Crooked Creek, South Fork, and Little White- water, and the county is traversed by the Belmont branch of the St. Louis, Iron Moun- tain & Southern and the St. Louis & San Francisco railroads.
There are no factories in the county except some saw mills, stave factories, flouring mills and other similar institutions. The total value of manufactured products including railroad ties was $389,072 in 1910. There is some water power which will probably be used at some time. There are no mineral products, except kaolin, which is taken out in quantities near Glen Allen and some good lime stone found in a number of different places.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
Butler county joins Arkansas on the south and it is divided into two parts by the Missis- sippi escarpment. Northwest of this part the country is rolling, while in the southeast are found the swamps of Black and St. Francois rivers. The county contains 716 square miles of territory, about one-half of which is allu- vial soil. A great deal of the land in the county is well timbered, much of it being very valuable on this account.
The principal streams in the county are Black river and St. Francois river which run
adding machines. Besides these there are several flouring mills and other manufactur- ing establishments of minor importance. The total value of manufactured products in 1910 was more than $2,000,000.
The railroads of the county are the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern main line; the Cairo, Arkansas & Texas branch of the Iron Mountain, and the Doniphan branch ; besides these, there is the St. Louis, Memphis & Southeastern, a branch of the Frisco which runs through the county.
IN THE THICK TIMBER
entirely through it and which have many small tributaries, many of them being creeks of pure and clear water. The principal ex- ports of the county are farm products and lumber. In 1910 there were exported three million feet of lumber. There are some manu- facturing establishments, principally those in Poplar Bluff. These are principally wood working establishments engaged in the manu- facture of staves, lumber and heading. There is also a foundry and a factory for making
The population of Butler county is 20,627 and the taxable wealth is $4,148,435. There are 78 school districts employing 118 teach- ers, and the school system of Poplar Bluff is one of unusually high rank.
The principal town in the county is Poplar Bluff, which has a population of about 6,000. The other towns are principally saw mill towns and small stations on some line of railway.
Cape Girardeau county is situated about
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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
100 miles south of St. Louis on the Mississippi river. It is divided into two parts, the greater portion of the county being in the Ozark plateau, but part of the southern half is in the alluvial bottoms of the Mississippi river. At one time a large part of the county was heavily timbered. Most of this timber has been removed, however, and the land is in cultivation. There are some small tracts of oak and gum, but the timber is no longer of any very great value. The area of the county is 540 square miles, more than two-thirds of which is under cultivation. The soil of the county is productive even on the hills. In the bottoms of the Mississippi and other streams the land is very rich. The principal products are those of the farm. Some lum- ber is shipped out. amounting to four million feet in 1910. There is no coal mined in the county, but large quantities of lime stone is quarried and there are a few kaolin pits, and in some places crystal sand is taken out for glass manufacturing purposes.
There are a number of manufacturing es- tablishments, wood working plants, mills, shoe factory, and a large cement plant; besides these there are some important quarries where large quantities of lime stone are re- moved.
The county, exclusive of the city of Cape Girardeau, produced manufactured products in 1910, amounting to $4,150,667. The larg- est single item was flour. In the same year the city of Cape Girardeau had products amounting to $2,773,432, the largest single item being shoes.
The population of the county is 27,621 and the assessable valuation $174,382. There are 80 school districts in the county employing 140 teachers, and the school system is a well organized one. The county has the Third District State Normal school, St. Vincent's
college and academy at Cape Girardeau. There are good high schools at Jackson and Cape Girardeau.
The county seat is Jackson, which is a thriving prosperous town, and the largest town is Cape Girardeau, with a population of about 9,000. Besides, there are the following towns : Allenville, Appleton, Burfordvills, Dutchtown, Egypt Mills, Fruitland, Gordon- ville, Millersville, Neeleys Landing, Oak Ridge, Pocahontas and Whitewater. The county is well supplied with transportation facilities. Besides the Mississippi river there are the following railroads: St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern, St. Louis & San Fran- cisco, St. Louis Southwestern and the Cape Girardeau & Chester.
Carter county is one county north of the Arkansas line and is five west of the Missis- sippi river. It has an area of 323,000 acres, much of which is still timbered. There are three different classes of land in the county, hill land, table land and creek bottoms. Sev- enty-five per cent of the land in the hills is rocky and at least one-fourth of the area of the county is still unimproved. The princi- pal productions are farm products and tim- ber, there having been thirteen million feet of lumber shipped ont in 1910, besides large quantities of railroad ties and posts. The largest sawmill in the state is at Grandin. It has a capacity of 285,000 feet a day and em- ploys more than 1,200 men. The total of manufactured products in 1910 was $316,070.
The soil is adapted to fruit growing and the probabilities are that within the not dis- tant future there will be large orchards in the county. Much iron ore is found in two dif- ferent sections of the county and there are traces of lead and copper, but not in sufficient quantities to warrant their being mined.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
The population is 5,504 and the assessable wealth is $1,523,380. The population is largely American, there being but few ne- groes or foreign immigrants. There are 32 school districts in the county employing 37 teachers.
Perhaps the scenery in Carter county is equal to or superior to that in any other of the counties of Southeast Missouri. The county is divided by Current river, one of the most beautiful streams in the state. There is much unused water power on this stream that will doubtless be developed soon. There are two railroads in the county, the St. Louis, Memphis & Southeastern and the Current River branch of the 'Frisco.
The largest town in the county is Grandin, which is principally a saw mill town and owned by the mill company; Van Buren, the county seat, is situated on Current river and is surrounded by hills.
Dunklin county has an area of 500 square miles, not more than one-half of the area be- ing under cultivation. At one time the county was almost entirely covered with a dense growth of timber, consisting of oak, maple, sycamore, poplar, cypress, gum, ash, walnut and pecan. Large quantities of timber still exist, though much of it has been cut. With the exception of a strip about two miles wide and ten miles long, extending across the northwest corner, being a part of Crowley's ridge, the land is level. The soil is alluvial and part of it comprising the great ridge running south from Dexter, is sandy loam immensely productive. The soil of Little river bottoms and St. Francois river bottoms is a heavier soil, also productive. Much of this land was made usable only by drainage; many miles of ditches have been dug and much land reclaimed in this way.
The principal productions are those of the farm. It is the great cotton growng county of the state and in fact is the greatest cot- ton producing county in the United States. Besides cotton, large quantities of corn, wheat and melons are grown. The factories are wood working plants, cotton oil mills, and brick yards, flour mills, ice plants and other similar plants. In 1910 the manufactured products of the county amounted to nearly $2,000,000. The most important item was cotton, valued at $510,897, followed by lum- ber, cooperage and oils in almost equal amounts.
The county has the St. Louis & Southwest- ern Railroad, the 'Frisco, and St. Louis, Ken- net & Southeastern. The largest town in the county is the county seat, Kennett, and other principal towns are Malden, Campbell, Clarkton, Holcomb, Cardwell, Hornersville and Senath.
The population of the county is 30,228, and the total taxable wealth is $5,876,187. The principal part of the population is Amer- ican born, seventy-five per cent of whom own their own homes. There are many churches in the county and a good system of public schools. There are 74 school districts employ- ing 134 teachers, and each of the larger towns maintains a high school.
There are 550 square miles in Iron county, much of it being in the Ozark mountains. The best land is found in the valleys where the soil is alluvial, but there is also some good farming land on the hills. In the south- west part of the county the land is very broken and rocky; at the present time only a small percentage is under cultivation. The princi- pal productions of the county are its farm products and the products of the quarries. There are lead mines in the county, though not of very great importance, but there are a
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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
number of granite quarries and large de- posits of granite which are not yet being mined. The manufactures of the county amounted to the sum of $176,929 in 1910. The principal items in this amount were stone, cooperage, and flour. The Arcadia val- ley is one of the most beautiful spots in Mis- souri and Ironton and Arcadia, two towns of this valley, are famous as summer resorts. Mines are worked at Pilot Knob, Shepard Mountain, Cedar Mountain and a few other places; besides these, marble and kaolin are also mined.
The county is traversed from north to south by the main line of the St. Louis, Iron Moun- tain and Southern Railroad. The principal towns are Graniteville, a famous quarry town; Ironton, the county seat, Arcadia, Pilot Knob, and DesArc. The population of the county is 8,563 and its total amount of tax- able property is $2,359,457. There are 47 school districts employing 55 teachers.
There are 640 square miles in Jefferson county and practically all the surface gives evidence of mineral deposits. The land is generally high and rolling, much of it broken by streams. There are considerable areas of fertile bottom lands and the best part of the county is in the northwest sec- tion. About one-third of the area of the county is under cultivation and the principal productions are farm products and those which come from various mines. In 1910 there were one thousand car loads of stone, granite, lead, zine and sand shipped out of the county. There are also large manufac- turing plants, one of the largest lead smelt- ing plants in the world is in Herculaneum, while at Kimswick is an important lime plant, and Crystal City is famous for the manufacture of plate glass. Besides these
other products of the mines such as zinc, lead and clay are mined and worked up in the community. The nearness to St. Louis makes the raising of garden products and orchard products profitable, as well as the dairy industry.
There are a number of famous springs in the county, some of them mineral springs said to have medicinal values, among them Sulphur Springs and Mineral Springs. There are other resorts along the Mississippi river.
Transportation facilities are afforded by the Mississippi river, the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern and the St. Louis & San Francisco railroads. The population is 27,878 and the total taxable wealth $6,056,- 147. There are 87 school districts, employ- ing 133 teachers.
The principal town is DeSoto, largely a railroad town, with a population of about 5,000; the county seat is Hillsboro, one of the oldest towns in the county. Besides these the principal towns are Crystal City, Festus, Herculaneum, Kimswick, Riverside, Victoria and Selma.
The manufactures of the county are very extensive. In 1910 they reached the total of $8,111,433. By far the largest item in this great amount was the products of the smelters which in themselves amounted to more than $5,000,000. Glass was another big item, being more than $1,500,000. Other large items were the products of the car shops, shoes and flour. This enormous total makes Jefferson the most important manu- facturing county in the southeast.
The chief industrial interest of Madison county is mining. There are large deposits of lead, cobalt, copper, granite, marble and iron in the county. One of the oldest mines in Southeast Missouri, Mine La Motte, is in
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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
un
TYPICAL STONE QUARRIES
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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
Madison county. It has been operated for about 140 years continuously. There are 492 square miles in the county and of that about one-sixth is under cultivation, farming being the interest second in importance.
The population of the county is 11,273 and the taxable wealth $2,608,295. There are 55 school districts, employing 77 teachers.
The land is rolling and much of it is tim- bered, white oak and pine still being found in many places. The river bottoms are fer- tile, the land on the hills is much less so, but it is well adapted to fruit growing, which will probably become one of the leading indus- tries of the county. Big and Little St. Fran- cois rivers and Castor river water the county, and besides these there are a number of fine springs. Those at White Spring are con- sidered to have a medicinal value.
The principal manufacturing establish- ments are saw mills, flouring mills, stave factories, distilleries, ice plant and quarries. The principal town is the county seat, Fred- ericktown; besides this Marquand and Mine La Motte are also important. The total manufactured products in 1910 amounted to $53,274. The principal items were the pro- ducts of the smelters, lumber and flour.
Mississippi county is about one hundred and sixty miles south of St. Louis, on the Mississippi river. It contains 275,000 acres of land, nearly one-half of which is in culti- vation. It is practically all level land lying within the alluvial plains of the Mississippi river. There is much sand in the soil in most of the county, but not enough to prevent it from being very productive. A part of the land near Charleston was originally prairie and is the most fertile land in the county. Other parts were originally heavily timbered with black and red oak, cypress, gum, cotton-
wood, sycamore and hickory. There were many other varieties of timber but these were the most important commercially. Some of this timber still remains. More than 6,000,000 feet of lumber was exported in 1910.
Part of the land is subject to overflow from the river. Levees have been built to protect from floods, which will be adequate except for most unusual floods. The sand which everywhere forms a sub-soil aids very greatly in drainage.
The county is well improved. Good barns and residences are found in all the older settled portions of the county.
The chief industry is farming. The land is well adapted to the growing of corn and wheat, large quantities of both being pro- duced. These two crops furnish exports worth more than a million dollars each year. Alfalfa is also grown and is becoming more important as a crop. Second in importance. to farming is the timber interest. The prin- cipal manufacturing plants are flour mills and woodworking establishments. Lumber, staves, heading. handles and spokes are man -ยท ufactured in the latter plants. The man- ufactured products reached a total of $1,158,- 801 in the year 1910. The largest single item of this total was flour, which had a value of $871,075. Cooperage was next in importance.
The county has three railroads. The Bel-' mont branch of the Iron Mountain, the Cairo. Arkansas & Texas branch of the same sys- tem, and the main line of the 'Frisco. The river which forms the eastern boundary af- fords transportation facilities also.
The principal town is Charleston, the county seat. which has a population of 3,144. Bertrand. East Prairie, Whiting and Annis- ton are other important places.
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The population of the county is 14,557 and its taxable wealth is $3,939,516. There are 45 school districts, employing 75 teachers. The high school at Charleston is a well-or- ganized and well-attended institution.
The usual church organizations are found in the county and the population is known for its industry, thrift and sobriety.
There are 620 square miles in New Madrid county, about one-fourth of the area being
probably become one of the leading products of the county. The value of manufactured articles in 1910 was $1,682,959. The im- portant products were lumber, eotton and cooperage. A large part of the land was at first not susceptible to cultivation because overflowed by the Mississippi river. The government levee and local drainage ditches have reclaimed large parts of the land.
The river affords transportation and the St. Louis & San Francisco, St. Louis, Iron
CORN MEASURED BY HORSES
under cultivation at the present time. A part of it is in the sandy loam of the Sikeston ridge and a large part in the heavy soil of the Little river bottoms. The principal industry is farming. The county was once covered with a heavy growth of timber, much of which has been removed. There are still large bodies of valuable timber which is rapidly being eut. The principal products in the north part of the county are corn and wheat, in the south part, cotton. Alfalfa is begin- ning to be grown in large quantities and will
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