USA > Missouri > McDonald County > Illustrated history of McDonald County, Missouri: from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 4
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CAVERNA.
Caverna is located near the Arkansas line on Little Sugar creek, and has a water mill and store. This has been a mill site for the last fifty years or more. The water power is fine and capable of running more than ten times the machinery it now operates. Should a rail road ever be built through that part of the county it is liable to become a flourishing little town. The
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
post office was established here about 1867. There are numerous caves in this vicinity, some quite extensive, and the name was derived from them.
COY.
Coy is now a post office and small trading point on Patterson creek just below the widow Mc- Millin farm. Along about 1883 Sterling Mitchell, son of W. B. Mitchell went to Texas and there married a young lady of considerable fortune. Young Mitchell, with his new bride, came back to McDonald county when he conceived the idea of building a mill and laying out a town at the upper end of his father's farm. He soon had the enterprise under headway and the mill was soon running. Mitchell, however, soon sold out and went back to Texas. The mill changed hands a few times, when it was purchased by T. H. Wimpey and George McCoy, who operated it successfully for several years, doing a general merchant and custom business and running a saw mill in connection. T. H. Wimpey, Frank Beeman, Howard Langley and W. G. Smith were among those who keptstores there. In 1896 the mill was moved to Tiff City, but a saw mill was soon located on the old site. The store for the past year or two has been run by John and Dallas Seabourn and Wm. Cunningham. McCoy sold
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
his interest in the mill a few years ago and has been farming since.
CRYSTAL SPRINGS.
ABOUT the time of the excitement over Med- ical Water, an effort was made to build up a health resort at Crystal spring about two miles north of Pineville. J. P. LaMance was one of the leading men in the enterprise. A company was formed and an assessment was made in August 1881 for the purpose of building a hotel. Nothing was done beyond the erection of one or two small buildings, and the project was soon abandoned.
CYCLONE.
CYCLONE is the name given to a small trad- ing point on Big Sugar creek about eight miles above Pineville. It has a water mill and a gen- eral store. J. A. Foster keeps the store and has charge of the post office which was estab- lished in 1883.
DONOHUE-GOODMAN.
WHEN the rail road was built through this county in 1890, a small station has established in the northwest part of Erie township. This went under the name of Erie Station, and New
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
Erie, but was finally named Wade, in honor of W. H. Wade, then member of Congress from this district. It was not a very desirable location and, beyond a few small dwellings and two or three little business houses, never made much growth. When the railroad passed into the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf Company, the town of Donohue was laid out and a good de- pot built there. It is quite a point for shipping timber for the lead and coal mines.
ELK MILLS.
IN ante bellum days Elk Mills promised to be the leading town of the county. Situated on the Elk River near the Nation line, surrounded by the broad river bottom farms and in close prox- imity to the fertile valleys of Patterson and Buffalo creeks with the rich prairies within a couple of miles, its inhabitants might well look forward to a bright future. Besides, the water facilities here are most excellent and easily util- ized. As long ago as the early 50's there was a good big grist mill here, and in 1856 there was a hotel, kept by L. Richtus. Aron Scritchfield was black smith. W. H. Sorrels kept a drug store. E. S. Lindsey, W. N. Manter and Jameson and Manter each kept stocks of general merchandise. Several other families, among whom was Dr. Trader, lived there, The mill was burnt during
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
the war, and the town gradually fell into decay, until now there are but a few old ruins left to mark the spot where it once stood.
ENTERPRISE.
This town was located on the farm now occu- pied by the widow Keenan on Patterson creek. It sprung up when the Indians were first removed to the Indian Territory and up to the war was a trading point of considerable importance. Jim Bly kept a store and the post office. William Bly, who married a Cherokee in Georgia had a steam distillery. John Patterson built the mill there which afterwards belonged to Caulk. A part Cherokee named David Harlin, at one time owned the distillery. He sat out twenty-five acres in peach trees for the purpose of raising fruit to make peach brandy. Samuel Lane, of Roan county Tennessee, was the blacksmith until 1346, when he died. There were thirty or forty houses in the village. and about two hundred inhabitants.
ERIE.
The first post office was established at Erie in 1851. at the residence of John M. Harmon. It re- mained there until Mr. Harmon's death in 1862. The office was discontinued until 1868 when it was re-established. This same year the town
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
of Erie was laid off at the instance of Dan Har- mon, he being the owner of the land Since that time it has been a small trading point, there be- ing usually one or two stores. The best busi- ness house ever built there was a one story brick put up by Dan Harmon about 1890 or 1891. It was burnt with the entire contents, a stock of general merchandise owned by Charlie Harmon, on the night of March 12, 1895. This proved a severe loss to the worthy young man, who was at the time dangerously ill with pneumonia, and the place has never regained its former business prosperity. This village is situated in a fertile part of the county, which is inhabited by an in- telligent, thrifty and agreable set of people.
GATES-MAY.
THIS was a post office at the forks of Buffalo creek and Sugar Fork, established a few years after the first settlementin that vicinity. It was on the route from Neosho to Maysville. Richard Price was post master for several years before the war. Along in the eighties, while W. T. Child held the position, he resigned, and the office was discontinued for a while. Dr. Maynard located there, put up a small store and the office was revived under the name of May. Gates was so called from General Gates, and May from the first syllable of the doctor's name, or that of his
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
daughter May.
HART
PRIOR to 1840, the northwest part of Buffalo township was very sparsely settled. The road from Seneca to Southwest City left the state line near the Newton county line and swung out into the Nation for some three or four miles. The Flat Woods between Buffalo creek and the state line was almost an unbroken forest. In 1883 Phillip Rinehart interested the neighbors in cut- ting a road straight through thus enabling trav- elers to cut off the bend into the Nation. The post offices for the community were Seneca or Tiff City, each about seven miles distant. The writer presented a petition to the county court to establish the public road as made by Mr. Rinehart and the same year made applica- tion to establish a postoffice on the route. This application was endorsed by W. T. Child, P. M. at Gates, and in a short time an order was re- cieved to select as short and convenient a name as possible. Mr. or Mrs Child suggested Hart, the last syllable of Mr. Rinehart's name, and in in a few weeks we were getting our mail daily almost at our doors. Mr. Rinehart served for some time, then the office was moved from his house to Chandler's mill. Tom Cummings built the house now occupied by William Spraggins
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
and for a while the office was kept at his house. About 1885, C. Tucker bought out Cummings, and put up a neat store building and a nice stock of goods. He soon built up a good trade and for a few years did well. Since that time Hart has been a considerable trading point as well as post office.
INDIAN SPRINGS.
AMONG the traditions of the Indians who formerly inhabited this section of country, was one of the healing qualities of the springs near Indian creek. The first white men to visit the country were told of them, but the Indians could never be induced to reveal their location. The older settlers who claim to be posted in the lore of the community, say that a man named Friend, one of the first settlers on Indian creek, made a search for the springs and found the fa- mous Four Great Medical Springs. One of his family being severely afflicted with rheumatism the water was used and a cure speedily effected. Mrs. Carroll used the water about 1840, and a most remarkable cure was the result. There being but few people in the country, and the means of spreading news meager, the medicinal properties seem to have been forgotten and the use of the water discontinued until 1880. About this time J. J. McNatt and a few others took an
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
interest in the springs and arrangements were made to more thoroughly test the medical prop- erties of the water. The result proving satis- factory, a village was laid out July 7, 1881. R. W. Williams, Robert Anderson and John Bar- low were the trustees, and T. J. Golden, treas- urer. In seven days two hundred lots were sold and twenty buildings erected. The town enjoy- ed a lively boom, people flocking in from all di- rections. The growth was so rapid that in Au- gust of the same year, McNatt laid out an addi- tion to the town, Williams & Tennison another; Williams & McNatt a third, and in March, 1882, Boyden a fourth. When at its best the popula- tion was estimated at near 2000. The four springs were nicely improved with walls fencing, pipes, etc., bath houses built, substantial busi- ness houses erected, and the little city had every appearance of permanence. A handsome City Park was reserved, a rostrum and band stand erected, and here for several years were held picnics, public meetings celebrations, etc., where large crowds always assembled to enjoy the hospitality of the people of the famous Indian Medical Springs.
Among the prominent men whose names ap- pear in connection with the place at that time are: W. E. Smith, Scott Ferris, W. J. Adkins, J. B. Barlow P. M. Fink, L. C. Brown, Edward
ยท
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
Bogard and James C. Cole, city attorney.
One part of the city was named College Hill and on this was built a handsome two-story school house 36x56 feet being for many years the best school building in the county. A handsome hotel called the Planter's was built there, and for some time did a good business. It is the largest and best arranged hotel building ever erected in McDonald county.
But the fates were against Indian Springs and the boom soon bursted. The town gradually fell into decay. Many buildings were moved away; some were destroyed by fire, while others were left vacant until destroyed by the ravages of time.
In 1887 Dr. J. C. PeTit, of Joplin rented the hotel and undertook to establish a printing office and infirmary. He advertised quite extensively, and for a while there was hopes of reviving the fortunes of the town. But this enterprise failed, and now but little is left of the once famous town. P. M. Fink has a neat stock of general merchan- dise and also runs the hotel. Robert Duffield has a small general stock.
The following taken from the history of Mc- Donald county published in 1888, is a beautiful description ofthe lake and its surroundings. The steam boat has since been sold and the grand excursions numbered with the pleasures that went with the passing of the city:
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
"At the foot of the hill some 100 yards from the town is lake Mc Natt, a beautiful body of water, formed by the dam across Indian creek, and is about three miles in length by half a mile wide, its waters as clear as crystal and vary- ing in depth from five to fifteen feet, its banks diversified with beautiful valleys, wooded hills and rocky cliffs, whose tops, in places, project for many feet over the water and are reflected in its clear depths. On this lake has been built a beautiful little side-wheel steam boat capable of seating about seventy-five persons, and noth- ing is more enjoyable than a ride around the lake on this boat, giving one a fine view of the wooded hills and rocky cliffs on one side, and the fertile valleys and cultivated fields on the other, and at the foot of the lake the mill, with its whirr and bustle and busy scenes of active life, reminding us that we are not wholly seggregated from the great work-day world about us. Nowhereinall the great Southwest can there be found within the same radius a more beautiful or picturesque region than that immediately surrounding this place. "
LANAGAN.
In 1886 Dr. Fausett in the employment of a Pennsylvania Oil company bored down to a depth of 844 feet where he struck a strong vein of white
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
sulphur water which flows with great force. It is located on a high bank of Indian creek and is surounded by various other springs. The oil project was abandoned, but M. R. DeGroff, I. D. Galbraith T. C. Lanagan and others purchased the land and, when the railroad was built, con- ceived the idea of building a town. It was called Sulphur Well City. But little was done with it until the railroad, or Ozark Orchard Company secured the most of the land when a depot was built and the place named Lanagan. The well has been sealed up, all but a small stream and the water conducted to a tank and fountain near the depot. This fountain is quite a novel sight and is admired by the many hundreds of people who stop at this station on their way up and down the road. This artesian well flows with sufficient force and volume to supply a good big town, while its medical qualities are nowhere surpassed in the Great Southwest. A beautiful park with numerous sprays and fountains and lakes could easily be made here supplied by this "natural water works" and Lanagan be made one of the most attractive of health resorts.
At present it is a prosperous little village with three stores, two hotels a new church and school house, and is doing a large timber business. C. Lewis & Son for several years have kept a large stock of goods here, run a saw mill and done per-
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
haps the largest business of any one firm in the county.
NOEL.
For many years T. A. Marshall kept a store on his farm in Elk River township, but when the railroad was built the town of Noel was plat- ted and he moved his business to that place. There has never been any effort to boom this town, but it has had a steady and permanent growth. One of the best business houses in the county is at Noel. It is a substantial one story stone containing four large rooms, Two are oc- cupied by Marshall, Tatum & Co., one by Dr. Beeson's drug store, the other by Charles Gratz, hardware. There are several other small stores in town. C. E. Davis has just completed a hand- some hotel building. The O'Jo Club House, which stands on the promontory between Butler creek and the river is a handsome place. The grain elevator, draws much important business and, in connection with the stock yards, makes Noel the most important shipping point in the county for grain and live stock.
This town is noted for the beauty of its location, the style and neatness of its dwellings and its water facilities for fishing, bathing and boating.
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
PINEVILLE.
On the 11th day of June, 1847, the present site of Pineville was surveyed for Samuel Burke, who then owned the land. Nine blocks were laid out, the center one being reserved for a pub- lic square. On this the first court house was built a few years later. The new town was nam- ed Maryville, in honor of Mrs. Mary Mosier, wife of J. K. Mosier.
At this time Newton county embraced all of the territory now included in McDonald county and the records of the location of Maryville are on file in that county. Incident to the contest over the county seat that came up soon afterward; also partly owing to the fact that the pine forests reached almost to the borders of the town, and considerable pine lumber was sawed there, the name was changed to Pineville, a few years after its first survey. Another reason given for the change of name is that there was anoth- er Maryville in this state.
When the act of March 3, 1849, passed the legislature providing for the organization of McDonald county, the commissioners were ap- pointed and ordered to meet at Pineville. But the little town of Rutledge became a contest- ant for the county seat, and a county seat war was at once precipitated. After a three days
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
election Rutledge won by a small majority, and that place became the seat of justice until it was finally relocated at Pineville in 1857. J. K. Mosier and John B. King were among the lead- ing spirits in favor of Pineville, and Joseph Pearson and Burton McGhee, in favor of Rut- ledge.
The contest spread from the rival towns until it became a struggle between the two ends of the county. During this time considerable ill feelings were engendered, and several fist and skull fights occured between members of the two factions. Propositions were bandied back and forth to meet at the ford of the river and "fight the battle of Beuna Vista" over again, and let the result settle the matter. But this was done rather in a spirit of humor or bravado.
In the History of this county published in 1888 is the following account: "The row over the county seat in 1849 resulted in the murder of Colpin Goss by Simon Cockerill, David Finch, by Hamp Walters, and in old man Finch stabbing Walters at the same time, from the effects of which he died some time later. "
Dr W. C Duval, then a practicing physician at Rutledge and an eye witness of the killing of Copeland, not Coplin, Goss says it was done in a drunken row, and that both parties were west
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
end men. Several parties were drunk and were urging Goss onto Cockerill. The Dr. got be- tween them and for some time kept them apart, but his efforts to make peace between the two parties was thwarted by some one catching him from behind and pulling him out of the way. At the same instant Goss was pushed onto Cock- erill, who at once fired his pistol, the ball pass- ing through Goss' heart. The Dr. also states that the Finch and Walters murders arose from a similiar spree.
The west end of the county contained the largest population, consequently were able to out vote the east end, but in 1857, an act of the legislature was procured providing for the loca- tion of the county seat within a certain distance of the center of the county.
This left Rutledge out of consideration, and Pineville, being the only point available, was selected as the permanent county seat. At this time the name Maryvill was changed to Pineville. The town was located in the northwest quarter of section 34, township 22, range 32, J. K. Mosier donated seventeen and one-half acres, Henry Miller twenty acres, John B. King fifteen acres, and A. A. Hensley ten acres. The commission- ers who relocated the county seat where, Lyman Beeman, Moses Shelton and William McClure. They performed this important piece of business, the first Monday in January, 1858.
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The records of their transaction, and all sub- sequent conveyances, were destroyed during the Civil War, and a suit to establish the title to those lands was afterwards instituted in the cir- cuit court, and a decree rendered to that effect.
That the people of the new county seat had confidence in its future is evidenced by the price of the lots which were sold March 22, 1857. William Southward purchased Lot 1, Block 42, for $100.25. Thomas H. Howeth purchased Lot 1, Block 49 for $101. 3
Willis R. Cox purch- ased Lot 3, Block 40 for $100,10. John Carroll purchased Lot 3, Block 32 for $100. D. T. Lau- derdale and I. I. Hackney purchased Lot 4 Block 42 for $100. Richard Kelley purchased Lot4, Block 32 for $100. Thomas P. Bradley purchased Lot 2, Block 23 for $50. Various other lots were purchased at the same sale, the lowest price being two lots for $45. One-fourth of the money was paid in cash.
About the month of August, 1858, Thomas H. Howeth assigned his interest in Lot 1, Block 49 to W. C. Duval, and in January 1859 J. P. La- Mance bought the interest of William South- ward to Lot 1, Block 42. Smith Elkins was the first County Seat Commissioner for the sale of lots. He was succeeded by G. C. Culp. It ap- pears that all the lots were sold except the court house square and half the jail lot.
1
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
The first buildings erected at this place were of logs, John Starns having built the first house in what is now the southwest part of town. A log house was soon after put up just back of where Walter's store now is. It was used for a saloon. The old Pineville hotel, which was torn down in 1894, was built a few years before the war. Among the few Ante-Bellum houses that are still standing are: The brick hotel now oc- cupied by John Ware. It was then known as the Russell House and was operated by Colonel Russell; the dwelling now owned by Joseph W. Kelley, which was then occupied by Dr. A. W. Chenoweth; the residence now owned by J. H. Moffett, and the house now owned by Mrs. Brad- ley. In 1858 Claudius B. Walker built a two- story frame hotel near where the south end of Farmer & Son's store now is. This was burnt by bushwhackers during the war.
Among the business men in Pineville prior to 1861 were J. C. Baber, who located here in 1858. From that time to 1891 he was one of the leading men of the town and county, J. P. LaMance was then a merchant doing business at the north- west corner of the square where Noel & Chen- oweth's hardware now is. Samuel Carroll had a grocery store on the lots now occupied by J. K. Maxfield's building. Samuel K. Cotter was doing business where Farmer's store now is.
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
David Payne and John Goodrich were the law- yers. W. C. Duval and A. W Chenoweth were the doctors.
The first court house was a one-story frame, built on the lots now occupied by Bradley's liv- ery stable. This was used until the brick court house was completed on the site of the present one, about the beginning of the war. The old court house was on the same plan as the present one, but was three stories, the upper one having been built by the Free Masons. It is said, how- ever, that it was never occupied by them. In August or September, 1863 a raid was made on the town by a band of bushwhackers and the court house, with all the records there, was set fire to and burnt.
A few of the papers and records had been carried away by A. A. Hensley, the clerk, but the larger portion had been stored away in the attic. M. N. LaMance, who witnessed the burn- ing, states that he saw the records fall from the attic into the fire below.
During the war the town suffered to some ex- tent from the ravages incident to the conflict, but since that time it has built up slowly, but gradually and at the present time has a number of good residences and substantial brick business houses.
In November, 1872, two-thirds of the taxpay-
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
ers petitioned the county court to incorporate the town, which was accordingly done, and R. L. Hargrove, J. C. Baber, Z. Smith, J. P. La- Mance and Isam Williams were appointed a board of trustees. The organization proved in- effective and too expensive for so small a place and was soon abandoned. It was again incorpo- rated in 1895, A. C. Walters, J. H. Moffett, A. K. Maxfield, Dr. J. C. Farmer, M. N. LaMance, being appointed trustees; A. V. Manning City Attorney. The organization is still in force.
Pineville has not suffered much loss by fire, except during the war. However, March 19, 1879, a fire broke out in Farmer & Chenoweth's drug store that destroyed all the business houses on the west side of the square north of where LaMance's brick now stands. Besides Farmer & Chenoweth's store, Malin's drug store, Brown's dry goods store, J. W. Warmack's grocery store and the News printing office were burnt. The origin of the fire is not definitely known, but it was supposed to have been the work of an incendiary, instigated by a spirit of revenge against Dr. Chenoweth on account of his persistent fight against the liquor traffic.
There was no church building at Pineville in the earlier days, but the Methodist held services in a store building on Main street somewhere in the vicinity of the site of the Pineville, or Wilson,
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HISTORY OF MCDONALD COUNTY.
hotel. This old building has long since been torn down or otherwise destroyed. In 1868, the old Methodist church was erected which served until 1896, when the present handsome structure was erected, and the old one torn down and the lumber used in building a neat Parsonage.
The present Babtist church, which is a neat and commodious building, was erected in 1888.
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