USA > Missouri > History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 70
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Mountain & Southern and the St. Louis & Southwestern railways, all of which have branch lines as well as the main line.
The present population is 19,488 and the total taxable wealth is $4,485,765. The prin- cipal towns are New Madrid, the county seat, with a population of about 1,900; Lilbourn, Morehouse, Portageville, Point Pleasant, Marston, Gideon and Parma. There are 50 school districts in the county, employing 85 teachers, and a number of the towns have well organized high sehools.
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In the extreme southeast corner of the ber of branches. The population is 19,559 state, bordering the Mississippi river and ex- and the total taxable wealth is $3,369,219. There are 48 school districts in the county, employing 70 teachers. tending to the Arkansas line, is Pemiscot county, with an area of 480 square miles, about one-sixth of which is being cultivated. Caruthersville, the county seat, is a town of about 3,500 and is a flourishing and pros- perous community. Besides Caruthersville, Hayti, Cottonwood Point, Pascola and Steele are the most important communities. The land is all level and is alluvial soil. There are immense quantities of timber re- maining in Pemiscot county though it is rapidly being removed. In 1910 fully thirty million feet of lumber was shipped out of the county. The land is extremely fertile and
Perry county is on the Mississippi river,
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SIMPLY A BIG OIL TANK
is adapted to the growth of corn, wheat and about 60 miles south of St. Louis. It contains other grains, the production of cotton, and especially to the growth of alfalfa, which in all probability will become the leading crop of the county. The principal factories are those devoted to the handling of timber, cot- ton and cotton seed oil. The total value of manufactured articles in 1910 was $1,840,- 612. The most important of these products were cotton, lumber, cooperage and oils.
The county has only the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway system, including a num-
436 square miles of surface, most of which at one time was covered with a heavy growth of cottonwood, oak, walnut, willow and gum timber. At the present time more than half the area of the county is under cultivation. Most of the land is rolling, some of it broken. There are considerable areas of level land in the river bottoms and on top of the hills. The eastern part of the county is Mississippi bottom bordered by bluffs; the roughest part of the county is in the southeastern and ex-
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MISSOURI ORCHARDS IN BEARING
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treme west. On the west side of the county is a small lake called Silver lake. There are several creeks, but no navigable streams, ex- cept the Mississippi. There are good springs in the county. Lithium Springs in the north and Schumer Springs in the south are said to possess medicinal properties.
The principal interest of the county is farming. There are some lead deposits and some fine stone. Lithographie stone is found ten miles west of Perryville. At one time iron ore was mined in the county, but this is no longer done. The forests yield consider- able products in the shape of lumber and railroad ties. The principal crops grown are wheat and hay and considerable attention is also paid to the growing of fruit. The soil seems adapted to fruit growing and it is probable that the orchard interests of the county will increase. Considerable attention is also given to stock raising and to poultry farming. There are a number of factories of one sort and another, some of which are saw mills, flouring mills, distilleries and cream- eries, brick yards, ice plants and other minor factories. The largest item in the manufac- tured products of the county in 1910 was flour, which had a value of nearly $200,000. The total value of all manufactured articles was $320,736.
The Mississippi river forms one great high- way of commerce; and the county has the main line of the 'Frisco from St. Louis to Memphis and also is traversed by the Cape Girardeau & Chester Railway. There are many good roads in the county. The total length of gravel roads is about 100 miles.
The present population is 14,989 and the total taxable wealth is $3,383,273. There are 61 school districts in the county, employing 73 teachers.
The largest town in the county is the county seat, Perryville, with a population of about 1,500. Other towns are Altenberg, which was founded about 1847 by German Lutherans and was the original site of Con- cordia seminary; Wittenberg, Longtown, Lithium, Crosstown, Brazeau, Frohna, Yount and Uniontown.
Reynolds county is situated in southern Missouri, being three counties north of Ar- kansas and five west of the Mississippi river. Its area is 830 square miles, or more than a half million acres. It was originally covered by forests of pine and oak; there were other species of timber also, but these were the principal ones. Not more than one- tenth of the entire area is in cultivation. The surface as a whole is mountainous, the soil that can be successfully cultivated is found in the river bottoms, where it is very rich. In the hilly part, the soil is poor and much of it has rock. In some few cases there are entire quarter sections of almost solid rock.
The principal industry in the county is lumbering. Large amounts of lumber and railroad ties are shipped out of the county every year. Farming interests follow, but these are less extensive owing to the small area in cultivation. The only factories in the county are wood-working establishments, flour and grist mills. Stock raising is carried on to a considerable extent, as stock may be grown in the woods with very little expense in many cases. No effort has been made to develop the mineral resources, which are large. There are fine beds of red granite, sandstone and some deposits of iron ore, and at some time the mineral resources of the county will become of very great importance. Lumber, ties and cooperage made up the
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greater part of the value of manufactured products which in 1910 reached a total of more than half a million dollars.
Black river runs through the county on the eastern side and has a number of small tribu- taries, the largest being West Fork of Black river. There are a number of springs and an opportunity is afforded for the use of water power which will doubtless receive attention in the future. Another industry which will probably be developed is fruit growing, as much of the soil in the county is capable of being put into orchards.
The population of the county is 9,592 and its taxable wealth is $2,369,791. There are 63 school districts, employing 63 teachers; 3,099 children of school age are enumerated in the county.
At the present time there is only one rail- road in the county, the Missouri Southern, which runs from Leeper, in Wayne county, on the Iron Mountain, to Corridon, near the central part of the county. Most of the other sections of the county are served by the Iron Mountain Railroad in Wayne and Iron coun- ties.
There is no incorporated town in the county. The county seat is Centerville and the largest town, perhaps, is Ellington, on the railroad. Some of the other smaller places are Bunker, Lesterville and West Fork; of these towns Bunker is a railroad town and is situated in the midst of a large pine forest where large mills cut a great deal of timber during the year.
The county is attractive on account of its scenery and also the opportunity for forming summer resorts, and for hunting and fishing. The streams are full of fish and there is still game to be found in some portions of the ounty.
Ripley county is on the Arkansas line, 60 miles west of the Mississippi river. It con- tains 640 square miles of land, about one- third of which is in cultivation. Large parts of the county are still covered with timber, the principal timbers being yellow pine, white oak, black oak and red gum. The southeast part of the county is in the low lands of Black river. The Mississippi escarp- ment, a line of bluffs, runs diagonally through the county. The northwest part of the county is hilly and even mountainous. Owing to this situation the eastern part of the county is more densely settled and at the present time the land is more valuable. Farming and timber working are the prin- cipal industries of the county. The ship- ments of lumber and other timber products are large, perhaps the largest saw-mill in the state is located at Grandin, in Carter county, but near the Ripley county line. There are large mills also at Doniphan that saw and dress large quantities of lumber. Besides these there are some portable mills which are moved from place to place over the county.
The manufactured products of the county had a value of $376,677 in 1910. The only large item in this total was lumber and cooperage, with a value of $289,830.
The eastern and southern part of the county is almost wholly agricultural in its interest. The principal farm products are cotton and corn. Some livestock is raised and the county is within the fruit belt. In time orchard products will become one of the im- portant features of the county. There are considerable deposits of iron ore scattered over the western half of the county though there are no large attempts made at handling ores. Owing to the improved methods of handling ore and its increased value it is
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probable that the mining interests of the county will develop rapidly in the near future. It has been said of the Ripley county farmer that he is also a manufacturer and a miner. He tills the soil, pastures livestock on a ranch, with an axe he makes railroad ties, and with a pick axe he collects iron cre. This statement, however, applies to the farmer living outside of the alluvial section of the county, where the soil is rich and pro- ductive as any to be found in the state.
The population of the county is 13,099, the taxable wealth is $2,879,028. There are 74 school districts, employing 87 teachers. There are two lines of railroad in the county, the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern, a branch line from Poplar Bluff to Doniphan, and the Hoxie branch of the St. Louis & San Francisco, which crosses the southeast corner of the county.
The county seat is Doniphan, with a popu- lation of more than 2,000, and a most de- lightful town, situated near Current river. Other important towns are Naylor, at the crossing of the 'Frisco and the Iron Moun- tain, having some manufactories; Varner, Fair Dealing, Ponder and Currentview. The school system is well organized in Ripley county, especially so in Doniphan, which sup- ports a good public school, including a well organized high school.
The principal streams are Little Black river, which runs through the northeastern part of the county, Logan creek and Current river, which runs through the county from north to south dividing it into almost equal parts. There are some smaller streams tribu- taries of these and a number of fine springs and the possibility of developing water power on a number of them. Current river is per- haps the most beautiful stream in the state.
St. Francois county is fifty miles south of St. Louis and one county west of the Missis- sippi river. It contains an area of 410 square miles, about one-third of which is devoted to agriculture. There are two classes of land in the county, a high rolling section occupy- ing a large area in the southwest corner and broken regions adjacent to the principal streams and then an area which is gently rolling found in the eastern and southern part of the county. These lands on this plateau are free from stone and quite fertile indeed. The only poor land in the county is found in the extreme southwest corner. That along the border of the streams is rich and fertile as any in the state.
St. Francois county, like most of the other counties in the state, had at one time a very heavy growth of timber, the most valuable being white oak. Much of this timber has been removed however, especially along the line of railroads. Besides white oak there were considerable quantities of black oak, red oak, sugar maple, walnut, cherry and hickory, besides these there were gum, pine and elm. There is still some pine timber as well as some other varities in the county.
The principal interest of the county is min- ing. It is the center of the lead district of Missouri. Besides lead, in the forms of dis- seminated ore, zinc, iron, nickel, copper and granite, limestone and sandstone exist in' workable quantities. Of these minerals the most important is lead. St. Francois county has produced more than 70 per cent of the lead of Missouri for a great many years. During the year 1910 there were produced: 211,845 tons of lead, large quantities of barytes, iron ore, sand, granite and other mineral products.
The farming interests of the county are
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also large. The chief products grown are wheat, corn and hay. Livestock is raised, making large shipments every year of cattle, hogs and sheep. Considerable attention is given to orchards and gardens. The prin- cipal factories are flouring mills which manu- facture large quantities of high grade flour, saw mills, planing mills, ore reduction works, granite quarries and brick factories. The total of manufactured products in 1910 was $7,305,825. Of this amount the products of the smelters furnished $6,556,423. The other large items were flour and the products of the car shops. St. Francois is surpassed in the value of manufactured products by only one county in the southeast-Jefferson. It is first in population, wealth and total value of all products.
The railroads in the county are the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern main line, the Belmont branch which runs through the county, the Missouri Southern, from Ste. Genevieve to Bismarck, and the Mississippi River & Bonne Terre, from Doe Run to River- side, in Jefferson county. Besides these the St. Francois County Interurban line runs from De Lassus through Farmington to Flat River.
The population of the county is 35,738 and its total taxable wealth is $9.969,403. There are 63 school districts, employing 168 teach- ers, and an enumeration of more than 10,000 children of school age.
The principal incorporated towns in the county are Farmington, the county seat, near the central part of the county and having a population of about 2,673, and Flat River, in the mining district, with a population of 5,012. Besides these incorporated towns there are a number of towns in the lead belt with large populations which are not incor- porated. The largest of these is Bonne Terre,
with more than 5,000 people. Others are Doe Run, Des Loge, Elvins, Esther and Lead- wood, which are mining centers. Bismarck, on the Iron Mountain Railroad, has a popu- lation of 848; and De Lassus, Iron Mountain, Knob Lick, Libertyville and Syenite. Syenite is the site of a great granite quarry, the largest in the state, and is situated just west of Knob Lick. Farmington has large manu- facturing interests and is the seat of Carle- ton College, Elmwood Seminary and State Hospital No. 4, for the insane.
Ste. Genevieve county is fifty miles south of St. Louis, on the Mississippi river. There are 450 square miles of land surface, about one-third of which is cultivated. A large part of the surface is rolling, and much of which is covered with timber, but along the Mississippi river and other water courses there are extensive tracts of bottom land. This is alluvial soil and is very fertile and productive. The upland, where it is farmed, is well adapted to wheat growing. In the alluvial soil corn and fruit are grown. About 60 per cent of the county has timber pro- ducts, the chief timbers being black oak, though there are quantities of white oak, walnut, hickory and pecan.
The chief interest of the county is farming. The principal products are wheat and corn, though a large area is given up to the grow- ing of hay. Livestock interests are exten- sive, and considerable attention is given to poultry raising, and dairying and horticul- ture are important items. The mineral in- terests of the county are also extensive, there being deposits of copper, lead, zinc, iron, glass sand, kaolin, marble and building stone. All of these exist in quantities large enough to make mining a commercial possibility. The building stone is especially valuable.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
Some fine marble is found near the central part of the county and the large deposits of glass sand are of importance. At one time a plate-glass factory was projected for Ste. Genevieve to use this sand. It was not erected, however. Most of the sand that is taken out is sent to Crystal City. The prin- cipal products are marble, brick and lime. There are several small nurseries and a num- ber of vineyards where wine is produced, and other smaller manufacturing interests are also represented. The manufactured pro- duets of the county in 1910 were worth $1,- 199,039, the principal item being flour. Lime was also a large item.
The county is bordered on the east by the Mississippi river, which has as tributaries within the county the river Aux Vases, Establishment, Bois, and Saline creeks. There are a number of fine springs in the county also. The Mississippi river affords transpor- tation facilities and the county is traversed by the main line of the St. Louis & San Fran- cisco, by the Cape Girardeau & Chester, and by the Illinois Southern.
The population of the county is 10,607 and the total taxable wealth is $2,940,924. There are 54 school districts, employing 59 teachers. The population of the county is about one- half German and German descent and the other half is made up of both French and Americans. Ste. Genevieve, the county seat, is the largest town in the county and the oldest in the state. St. Mary's has a popu- 'lation of about 800 and there are some other smaller towns, among them being Brickeys. New Offenberg and Zell.
Scott county is situated on the Mississippi river. and is about 140 miles south of St. Louis. It contains an area of 277,760 acres. nearly one-half of which is in cultivation. It
was at one time heavily timbered, the prin- cipal varieties being gum, white oak, black oak, maple, cypress, cottonwood and poplar. There are still 100,000 acres of timber, most of which, however, has been cut over and the most valuable timber removed. The county is level with the exception of the range of hills known as the Scott county or Com- merce hills. These are in the northeast cor- ner and are part of the Ozark plateau. The soil is fertile, especially so on the ridge known as the Sikeston ridge, and the princi- pal crops are wheat and corn. though melons are also grown extensively. Perhaps Scott county produces more watermelons and cantaloupes than any other county in the state. The chief shipping point for melons is Blodgett, which in 1911 shipped more than six hundred cars of melons.
There are some minerals found in the county, among them iron, limestone, sand- stone and several varieties of clays, including pottery, brick and clay suitable for making paint. Yellow ochre also occurs on the west side of the hills near Oran. Iron does not occur in commercial quantities, though there are traces of it in a number of places. The total value of manufactured articles in 1910 was $2,115,796. Flour, feed and meal made up $1,126,556 of this amount. The products of car shops and lumber were the other large items.
The county is well supplied with transpor- tation facilities. Heavy freight is moved on the Mississippi river, which forms the eastern border of the county, and it contains several railroads. The Belmont branch of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern. and also the Cairo branch, the main line of the 'Frisco between St. Louis and Memphis runs through the county, as does the St. Louis & Gulf branch of the 'Frisco. The extreme southern
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part of the county is crossed by the St. Louis Southwestern system.
The principal town is Sikeston, on the 'Frisco and the Iron Mountain. It is one of the fastest growing towns in this part of the state, and now has a population of about 3,500. It is a center of unusually fine farm- ing country, and one of the principal indus- tries of the town is the manufacture of flour. There are two large flouring mills, and a high grade of flour is produced. Besides its flour- ing mills there are some woodworking plants which are using up the timber in the vicinity. Benton, one of the oldest towns in the county. is the county seat. situated about one-half mile from the St. Louis & Gulf. Commerce, on the Mississippi river, has a population of about 700, and is a freight shipping point, and has a flour mill and cooper plant. Oran, which is a railroad junction, is also an im- portant shipping point, especially for melons and wheat. Morley is the third town in size, having a population of 600; it is also a rail- road junction, and is the center of the canta- loupe country of the county. Besides these, there are some smaller towns, Diehlstadt, New Hamburg. Vanduser, Gray's Point and Kelso.
The population of the county is 22,372 and its total taxable wealth is $5,773,958. There is a good system of public schools, there be- ing 54 school districts, employing 103 teach- ers. A large part of the population of the county is American, though there are some settlements of Germans made before the war.
Stoddard county is one of the largest coun- ties in the state, having 840 square miles, or more than half a million acres. The middle part of the county. north to south, is hilly, being a part of Crowley's ridge, which
swings in a broad curve from near Bell City through Arkansas to Helena. On the east edge of this ridge in Stoddard county the average height is about 100 feet, and the Cotton Belt railroad follows this ridge on the east side for a long distance. On the west the ridge slopes gradually to the level of the Black river and St. Francois bottoms. The ridge land is about one-half of the area of the county. Its soil is yellow-red clay, mixed with sand, and it is underlaid with a gravelly clay. About fifteen per cent of this ridge land is still timbered, the greater part of it being in cultivation. East of the ridge is the lowland of Little river bottom, of which the very much greater part is not yet improved. Stoddard county is developing its swamp land very rapidly by a system of drainage. The soil thus reclaimed is alluvial soil of a high degree of fertility. West of Crowley's ridge is the swamp of Black river and St. Francois, which resembles in general char- acteristics that of Little river.
The principal productions of the county are farm products, corn and wheat being the most important, and timber. At one time the timber interests were very extensive, and large quantities of staves and heading, as well as lumber, were manufactured at Bloom- field, Dexter and other points. Of late years, however, the timber is well cut out, except in the swamps. Even here, the best timber has been cut. About one-half of the area of the county is still timbered. Besides the staple crops mentioned, cotton is grown in the south part of the county, and is ginned at two or three points. Flour is manufac- tured, especially at Dexter and Bloomfield. A good grade of pottery clay is found near Bloomfield and there is an establishment for making pottery there. The manufactured
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products of the county reached a total of $1,676,351 in 1910. The large items were flour, lumber, cooperage and cotton.
The county has the following railroads: the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern, Cairo branch; the St. Louis Southwestern and the 'Frisco. Most of the county is well supplied with railroad facilities.
The principal towns are Dexter and Bloom- field. The latter is the county seat, and is supported largely by farming interests since the removal of the wood-working plants. Dexter is now the largest town, made so largely because of its superior shipping facil- ities and in part by the fact that large bodies of timber are still available near Dexter. The population of the county is 27,807, and its total taxable wealth is $6,452,077. There are 107 school districts, employing 151 teachers, and the school system of the county is one of the best in Southeast Missouri.
Washington county, one of the oldest in the state, is fifty miles south of the Missouri river and about forty west of the Mississippi. It is in the heart of the mineral district, and its principal industry is mining. The county contains 780 square miles, or nearly half a million acres, and of this immense area only about 100,000 acres, or one-fifth, is farmed. The remainder of the county, amounting to about 400,000 acres, is still timbered, the principal varieties being oak, yellow pine, hickory, maple and walnut. White oak is the most abundant timber and the most valu- able. It amounts to about 35 per cent of the remaining timber, and black oak, found chiefly in the western and southwestern parts of the county, amounts to about 25 per cent.
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