Items of genealogical interest in the Springfield daily news and the Springfield leader of Springfield, Greene County, Missouri for 1927, Part 2, Part 22

Author: Hall, William K. (William Kearney), 1918-
Publication date: 1927 v. 2
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 810

USA > Missouri > Greene County > Springfield > Items of genealogical interest in the Springfield daily news and the Springfield leader of Springfield, Greene County, Missouri for 1927, Part 2 > Part 22

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

---

Charles J. Bhelton, 69. of Phillips- burrs Mo. and Sarah B. Bwicegood. 16. a Springfield, were granted marriage license here today. Licenses were tasued yesterday to William W. Jones, 22. of Springfield and Edith Mae Bbarp. 21. of Reeds Spring, and Otis : R. : Nichols, 19, aDu Esther Le Danielon,"Il, both of Springfield."

SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 9, 1927 -- DAILY NEWS

Page 1: Marion Sampson died .**

S. A. Smith died. He was a farmer who lived near Fair Play. He was in an ambulance being brought to St. John's hospital in Springfield when the ambulance and a truck collided. Mr. Smith was accompanied in the ambulance by his wife and son. He was taken to the hospital but died there at 8 o'clock .** [This item is so dark it is difficult to read.]

Page 2A: Mrs. Jennie Buckner died .** Betty Burger died. ** William C. Young died .**

Mrs. Leda Neal died .** W. H. Shelton died .* Mrs. E. C. Sawyer died .**

Page 6A: Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Pfau of Monett went to Aurora for the funeral of C. Emmit Brown.

Lemuel Persinger of Henry, Neb., and Miss Helen Livesay of Monett were married October 1 in Monett.

Daughter born September 30 to Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Hinshaw of Miller.

Son born September 26 to Mr. and Mrs. Warren L. Webb of Miller.

Everett Robb and Dorothy Laturner were married .**

Page 1B: Charles J. Shelton of Phillipsburg and Sarah B. Swicegood of Springfield were married yesterday in Springfield.

George E. Mc Williams and Flossie Marie Epperson, both of Springfield, were married yesterday in Springfield.

Page 10B: Zella Baxter divorced Charles F. Baxter. Marriage licenses issued .**

Page 3C: Miss Jeannette Averill Drebelbis and Mr. William Earl Drumwright will be married in November .*

Miss Elizabeth Patterson and Mr. Jack Denton will be married Saturday .** Son born October 5 to Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Patterson of 1120 North Naational

avenue.

Page 4C: There is an item about A. M. Haswell.

Born to Mr. and Mrs. Warren L. Webb Sept. 26. a fine boy.

Everett Robb and Dorothy La- turner were married Wednesday eva !!... .... 25 at 7 o'clock by a justice of the peace ut Joplin, the ring ceremony being used. The : ride is the daughter of a highly Inspected mine operator of Joplin ! .. 1 the groom was formerly of Miller, attending the high school . . here and is the youngest son of Mrs. 1). Garver. Their many friends wish thetn a long and hap- by voyage through life

marriage of Lemuel ErtNinger « Heary, Neb, and Miss Helen! Livesay took place Saturday. Oct. 1. | at three o'clock at the First Christian church. Rev. Ernest. : Siebenthal officiating. The young ; couple will be at home at Henry. : Neb. after Oct. 15.

Miss Drebelbis to Wed W. E. Drumwright

Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Drobelbis. 724 South Dollison avenue announce the engagement of their daughter. Jeannette Averill, to Mr. Willlar. Eart Drumwright, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Drumwright, 2130 North l'ampbell avenue. The wedding ; will take place late In November.

1 Born to Mr. and Mrs. Boyd IlIn- shaw Friday, Sept. 30, a 9h-pound baby girl"* ***

951

50 WEDS 35.

DIES IN HOSHA AFTER RECEI MYSTERIOUS HU

Ambulance Bringing Farmer Hospital Here Overtis Truck in Collision and foco Suffers Broken Arm

BUT CRASH NOT BLAMED FOR AGED MAN'S' DEAT

Apparently Fatally While at Work in F Operation is Performed Har Without Success

A FEW hours after the which was speeding him to hospital bere crashed into a truck at the corner of Broad Av and Division street, 8. A. Both farmer who lived near Fair! died last night in St. John's hotel of a fractured skall

Lester Moore, 11-year-old tout H. T. Moore of Elwood, an coq of the truck which collided wk ambulance bearing the arts Cy: suffered a Woken art.' > About. 18:30-

by than, powtar i de tar AY'a alla from-th i the next be remembered te Ing on the ground, Me bund a sharp rock. It = 'balleri etther suffered a stroke of p or Wu jerked down by the to head striking the rock.

TRIES TO AVOID CRAMER

en by Willard B. Erwh Wg moned to take the injured St. John's hospital barn. En lost consciousnene shortly atte o'clock.

---

Doctor Brown of Fak Play .. Smith's wife and a son came.ft ambulance with him. The" dry from Bolivar to Springfield made quickly, and the ambul .

wa nearing the boltal wben Ford truck driven by: H. T. Xxxrum i

Elwood loomed in trist of it denly at the corner of Ereut av and Division street. Ktor :'t vainly to avold a crash, Mitx front of the ambulance struck rear end of the truck and turned over. Moore's 11-year-old son mm; thrown from the truck and hur erm was fractured. A Herman Lohmar" ambulance took Him to &L Jot hospital

1 OPERATION IN VAIN

Erwin, driver of the Bolivar bulance, said bere last nicht the the ambulance was traveling more than 20 mlles an hour at the time of the crash. The force of this collision was not enough to move bis patient on the ambulance cof. he said, declaring he is certain the' accident did not complicate Mr." Smith's Injuries.

The Bolivar ambulance proceeded" ¡ Immediately after the crash to the hospital, where an attempt ---- made tu save Mr. Smith's life by ad operation. He died at & o'clock. Funeral arrangements have not been completed. The body lice at ¡ the Herman Lohmeyer funeral hume.

Miss Patterson To Wed Saturday

The marriage of Miss Elizabeth Patterson, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. W. P. Patterson, 1000 East Elm street, to Mr. Jack Denton, son of Mr .. and Mrs. C. E. Denton, 316 South National avenue, will take place next Saturday morning at 10 o'clock at the South Avenue Christ- lan church. with the Reverend E. F. Loake reading the service.

The bride will be given In mar- riage by her father and she will be attended by Miss Josephine I'm- . barger, while "Mr. Denton will be at - tended by his brother. Mrs. Charles Denton.

Following the ceremony a wed- ding breakfast will be served to the bridal party and a few very close friends at the Johnson tea room and the newlyweda will then leave for a wedding trip through southern states, returning to this city to make their home.

Miss Patterson has been honored by a large number of pre-nuptial affairs since the announcements of her engagement.

952

MARRIAGE LICENSES

Charles J. Shelton, 69. Phillips- burg, and Sarah B. Bwicegood, 35, Springfield; Delmar Tummone, 18, ; Willard, and Florence Maples. 16. Brighton; James A. Russell, 27. St. Louis, and Rua Taylor, 22. Btraf- ford; Marie Goes, 29, and Pauline Baer. 22, both of Springfield; George E. McWilliams, 25, and : Flossie Marie Epperson, 21, both of : Springfield; William W. Jones, 22. . , Springfield, and Edyth Mae Sharp, 21. Ruedg Spring; Earl M. Algeo. . :25, and Blanche Bodanakl. 24, both of Springfield; Ishmael Epperson, : 21, and Bona McDonald, 17, both of Springfield.

Man Dies Watching. Baseball 'Contest At Fair Play, Mo. ..

----- - -

BOLIVAR, Mo., Oct. 1 .- ()- Marion Lampron, c0 years old, a prominent farmer living near Violet, Mo., 10 mlles north- east of this city. fell dead today while watching a baseball game between Bolivar and Fair Play. at Fair Play.

Mr. Sampson, whose son plays on the Bolivar team, was altting in the front row of seats just back of a wire netting. when he suddenly collapsed. He was found to be dead when a doctor arrived. Death was said to be due to heart disease.

DEATHS

MRS. JENNIE BUCKNER

Funeral services for Mra. Jennie Buckner, "8 years old, wife of R. E. Buckner, of Fuir Grove, Mo- route 3, who died yesterday, will be held at 2 o'clock :h.s afternoon at Bausville church with Surlal in the cemetery there under direction of the Klingner. Funeral some.

BETTY BURGER

Betty Burger, 11-year-old daugh- ter of C. C. Burger, superintendent of Congregational churches of Mis- souri, and formerly of Springfield, died at her home In Bt. Louis Sun- day and buried there last Tuesday, according to word re- ceived here yesterday.

WILLIAM C. YOUNG .

William C. Young. se years old. veteran of the Civil war, died yes- terday noon at his home at 458

Bouth Market avenue, following & lingering illness. Funeral arrange- ments are tacomplete . but will be held under direction of the Alma Lohmeyer Funeral home.

MR& LEDA NEAL

Funeral services for Mrs. Leda Noal, formerly of Ozark, who died Thursday at her home in Living- stone, Mont., will be held at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon at the Paxson Funeral home with burial In Hasel- wood cemetery. The Ozark East- ern Btar chapter will be In charge of services at the grave.

W. H. SHELTON

Funeral services for W. H. Bhel- ton, 90 years old, who died Thurs- day night at the home of his daugh- ter, Mra. H. W. Herndon, 759 South Grant avenue, will be held at 1 o'clock this afternoon at the First Baptist church at Battlefield, Mo .. with burial in Manley cemtery un- der direction of W. I. Barna, dertaker.

MRO. L-& SAWYER

The body of Hra. I. C. Www. & former resident of Springfield, who died recently at ber home in Detroit, Mich. will arrive here to- morrow morning .. Burial will be in East Lawn cemetery under direc- tion of the Alma Lohmeyer Federal home.

953

MY MISTAKE

I CERTAINLY pulled & "boner" in this column the other day when in a character sketch of A. M. Haswell, who is doing such wonder- ful work In writing novels of grip- ping interest though well past 80 ycars, I stated that he was a Manx- man by birth.

I setting me right as to the place of his nativity, Mr. Haswell writes: !"I was born much farther from the U. S. that the Tet of linn, In the lold Baptist Mission house In Maul- Imain. Burma, East India. But I am jin no way a heathen Chinese elther, for my father was born In the old battle town of Bennington, Vermont, and my mother in the ad joining county of Berkshire, Massachusetts. So if there is a full blooded Yankee jon earth I am one. Also I voted , without being naturalized. Three of my great grandfathera, and four of their sons fought In the battle of Bennington and at Saratoga. My father's father. Anthony Haswell was in Washington's army at the selge of Boston; the battles of Brooklyn and White Plains; and ¡was one of those who marched bare- footed in the snow to cross the ¡Delaware and capture the Hessfans

at Trenton, and then at Princeton. After that he was chosen by the committee of safety of Massachu- jantta to edit the Worrester Spr, the . hottest liberty paper in the colonies,

- and he was only 21 years old at the time. The first on father's side came to America in 1639, and on mother's side In 1645. So I have not : n drop of blood in my veins that Is Inot pure American-Yankee. I must ! tell you, too, that Anthony Haswell, at the close of the Revolution, load- ed his wife and baby, and his hand press and font of type, Into a two- wheeled cart and drove through the woods from Springfield, Massachu- setts. to Bennington. Vermont. where, In 1783. he established the Vermont Gazette, which he and his sons printed until 1852."

I hope Mr. Haswell doesn't feel hurt at the way I balled up his first : appearance on earth. He would still 'be a man of sterling character and courage and an American to the core. even though he had been born in the furthermost corner of the world from this land of the free and home of the brave.

I doubt not that if his rount-v needed hint A. M. Haswell would promptly enlist in the assertion of tits honor and the glory of Ks Flag. I

OZAR'KIN Vol. XX, No. 1

Spring 1998

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 1869-1991 Springfield, Missouri by George T. Harper

1. ORIGINS IN ENGLAND, LEIDEN, The MAYFLOWER, PLYMOUTH COLONY

As the Reformation developed, dissent took corporate form in the Puritan movement, of which Congregationalism was the most radical wing. John Robinson, one of the most influential early Congregational leaders, fled in 1609 to escape persecution in England and settled at Leiden in the Netherlands, with the exiled congregation from Scroohy in Nottinghamshire. For twelve years his congregation enjoyed peace under the Dutch, but he was haunted that their children would not grow up as English people. A large part of the company sailed for America in 1620 aboard the historic MAYFLOWER. The democratic ideals of their Plymouth colony were the cornerstone of the structure that gave the U.S. its free state, free schools, and free social and political life.

By 1640, there were 20,000 at Massachusetts Bay from England and with the "Plymouth People" joined forces to establish an all-powerful theocratic government. They produced some powerful leaders such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. In the education field, this church founded Harvard in 1636. Yale in 1707, Dartmouth in 1769, along with Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin and Middlebury. At Plymouth, they began work immediately with Native Americans and hy 1674 there were 4000 "praying Indians" in New England with 24 native preachers. While some did come with the western movement, Congregationalists had a virtual monopoly in New England. (1)

11. THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, SPRINGFIELD 1869

In 1869.Springfield, Missouri had grown to about 5000 and was slowly getting over the old animosities of the Civil War. The railroad was building toward Springfield, having reached Rolla. While Springfield's original settlement had been largely from Tennessee, there were people coming in anticipation of the railroad. The original town had been built around the Public Square. In 1869, there was a brash new competitor. This came about because thrifty

954

businessmen were cool to suggestions of eastern builders that the town donate cash as well as right-of-way for the oncoming railroad. Springfield civic leaders thought it inevitable that tracks would be built through their thriving town. Why spend unnecessary money? Result of this miscalculation was North Springfield. The rival town, a mile and a quarter north of the original settlement, was centered around a broad business street called Commercial, parallel to the railroad right-of-way. The Frisco Depot and the Ozark Hotel, owned by the railroad company were there, along with several business houses huddled along Commerical Street and residence streets radiated from it.

Newcomers in North Springfield were concerned about schools. Several of the more prominent former easterners were members of the Congregational Church. At that time the only religious congregations north of Olive Street were two Negro fellowships -- Pitts Chapel Methodist and Washington Avenue Baptist. Actually the Congregational Church began in 1868 with a mission Sunday School started by Rev. James Haswell Harwood, who was a graduate of Williams College and whose ministry had mostly been in the Chicago area. The class met in a carpenter shop on the southeast corner of Boonville Avenue and Chestnut Street. The Sunday School grew and it was decided to organize a church, which was done February 14, 1869 when eleven persons formed The Union Evangelical Church of Springfield, as it was first called. The charter members were Rev. and Mrs. James H. Harwood, Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Harwood, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred P. Harwood, Mrs. Eliza Haswell Harwood, Miss Katherine S. Harwood, Stephen Burton, Charles J. Burton, and Dr. Edwin Taylor Robherson. Dr. Robberson was one of the town's leading physicians and had large land holdings. Today's Robberson Avenue and Robberson School were named in his honor. He and Charles Harwood became associated in laying out and developing North Springfield, mostly from land already owned by Dr. Robberson. Rev. James H. Harwood, organizer of Union Church was a vigorous young man who had had successful pastoral and evangelistic work in the north, including active participation with D. L. Moody in his work in Chicago. He traveled all the time, organizing Sunday Schools and churches. From Lebanon on the northeast, to Carthage and Neosho on the southwest, and Lamar and Barton City on the northwest, he was known and welcomed in every little frontier village and farm home, and his beautiful gray saddle horse, Ranger, was known to every child along the rugged route.

In 1868, a 21-year-old cousin of the Harwood brothers, Alanson Mason Haswell, followed the family to Springfield. His diligence as historian was of inestimable value to the church, and many of his newspaper articles have been preserved. He described the day of his arrival in Springfield, September 15, 1868. "Along St. Louis street as we came in we saw several neat two-story residences, the homes, as I learned later, of the Keets, Shephards, Hollands and other of the old families of the place. But aside from those homes there were far more one, two, and three room cottages. There was a big livery stahle (where the Colonial Hotel stood) at the corner of St. Louis and Jefferson streets. I wish I could make you see the Square as I saw it that day. The street which the stage had come in on was a perfect sea of mud, worked up by the ceaseless procession of wagons bringing freight from the railroad; the street was bad enough but the Square was ten-fold worse. In the center was a circular cistern, for a water supply in case of fire. The circular top of this cistern was the auctioneer's block where many a slave had been sold. "

Such was the Springfield which the organizers of First Congregational Church were helping build into a city. The little carpenter shop soon became too small with 38 members and 100 in Sunday School. On March 10, 1870, they voted to purchase two lots at the northeast corner of Jefferson and Locust Streets in North Springfield for a church to be known as First Congregational. To obtain larger quarters, the group moved diagonally across the streets into a former millinery shop to await the new building. There on August 10, 1870, was organized the Springfield Association of Congregational Churches -- Lebanon, Lamar, Barton City, Carthage, Neosho, and First. At that meeting a tremendous step was taken by the six little churches. They adopted a resolution: "Resolved that a committee be appointed to take into consideration the founding of a Congregational College, somewhere within the bounds of this association." This was the birth of Drury College, first liberal arts college in a vast area of the Ozarks. The first passenger train on the future Frisco tracks to North Springfield pulled in, April 21, 1870, about two months after First Church observed its first anniversary. Mr. Haswell described the new town as "perhaps thirty small frame business houses, strung along on either side of an eighty foot space labled "Commerical Street." Of the business houses, he wrote, thirteen were saloons, and every saloon had an annex of a gambling den or worse. There were probably 300 people who had built houses and settled more or less permanently.

The new white frame home of the First Congregational Church was dedicated May 21, 1871. The $5000. cost had been contributed by members and was debt free. The building was 40 feet wide and 70 feet long. with a tall bell tower. The membership had reached 56 and was having a great impact on the spiritual and cultural life of the city. Among the pillars of First Church were Frederick S. Denny. Frederick Ball, A.B. Conkling, Dr. William M. Smith, and Henry T. Rand, all deacons. Others included Mr. & Mrs. W.L. Hardy and daughter, Georgia; and Mr. & Mrs. P.W. Bahl and daughter, Madge.

955

III. CHURCH AND COLLEGE

The idea of a Congregational College for southwest Missouri seemed important to members of First Church. Naturally, they hoped it would be established in Springfield. A College, however, was not founded without difficulties. There was a determined effort of several Ozarks towns to obtain the institution. Neosho and Carthage especially, were strong contenders. Springfield won over Carthage by one vote.

Drury College was founded in 1873. North Springfield was now claiming 1000 population and Old Town had about 6000. Rivalry between the two was intense. The proposed college was the first thing on which they united. Even then, the cooperation of business leaders outside the church hinged on an agreement that the college would be located between the towns. It was a substantial link toward the eventual merger of the two Springfields in 1888. (2)

There were four transplanted New Englanders who brought about the beginning of Drury College: James H. Harwood, home missionary and evangelist; Charles E. Harwood, real estate developer with legal training; Nathan J. Morrison, a college administrator; and, Morrison's friend Samuel F. Drury. James H. Harwood (1837-1932) was mentioned above as organizer of Union Church which hecame First Congregational Church. Charles E. Harwood (1830-1933) older brother of James H. Harwood was considered the second founder of Drury College. He was born in Bennington, Vermont and studied law after his graduation from Williams College. He was a Judge in Springfield and would have much to say and contribute when it came time to find a college campus. The third "founder" of Drury College was Nathan J. Morrison (1828- 1907) who was the first President of Drury College. He received a Doctor of Divinity from Dartmouth College in 1853 and in 1884, he received a Doctor of Laws degree from University of Missouri. The fourth "founder" was Samuel Drury (1816-1883) who was born in Spencer, Massachusetts. In 1838, he came to Otsego, Michigan and established a country store which became a successful venture. Dr. Morrison was teaching at the new Olivet College and he and Mr. Drury became close friends. Later, when Dr. Morrison was in Missouri and was working toward establishing a new college, he presented the need for start-up money to Mr. Drury. He asked for $25,000 on the condition the school should bear his name. After that , Mr. Drury frequently visited Springfield to attend board meetings and to make additional gifts to the new school. On September 25, 1873 the first classes began at Drury College. There were thirty-nine students on opening day. Later records indicate that of those enrolled on opening day, fourteen eventually earned their baccalaureate degrees. They were: eight women, Anna and Emma Grigg, Mary A. McCluer, Cora J. Perkins, Alice Porter, Georgetta Hardy, Hattie S. Robberson, and Aurelia Harwood; there were six men, A.P. Hall, J.T. White, Joseph Shepard, McClain Jones, Edward F. Townsend, and Walter B. Robberson. (3)

IV. The MIDDLE YEARS

At one time there were live Congregational Churches in Springfield; First (1869-1991), Pilgrim (1884-1908), Central (1883-1899), Swedish (1886-1918), and German (1885-1919). On January 10, 1899, First Church merged with Central Church, with a total membership of 440. Two lots were bought at Benton Avenue and Calhoun Street for the new brick church across from the Drury College campus. It had a steeple, stained glass windows, a pipe organ, and a beamed Gothic ceiling in the sanctuary.

Unfortunately, 40 years later. the beautiful church was destroyed by fire, in 1952. Dr. James F. Findlay, president of Drury College offered Stone Chapel as a meeting place. The community responded to the church's loss with gifts toward a new building. The cornerstone for the new church was laid July 21, 1953 and the dedication was December 13, 1953. However, there had been a great difference of opinion about the type of building -- traditional or functional. The building committee sent out a ballot and 156 voted for the functional plans; 73 voted for New England architecture. (4)

V. The CONCLUDING YEARS to 1991

The last pastor, Rev. Nelson Parnell (1974-1991), still lives in Springfield and updated the writer on more recent history. With a decline in membership, the church disbanded in 1991. The First Congregational was a progressive church and took on causes which sometimes were controversial. They chose to pay taxes to Springfield, supported the American Civil Liberties Union, supported food stamps and helped Crosslines with food and clothing for those who needed the help. They supported scholarships for Drury College students and helped in other educational causes.

The church building and parsonage are now owned by Drury College. Dr. John Moore, president of Drury College, informed the writer that the college has a "Covenant Relationship" with the United Church of Christ (successor to the Congregational Church) and has the same

956

relationship with the Disciples of Christ (Christian Church). While the college is completely independent, they maintain a special relationship with the former parent church groups. He stated the Drury College Mathematics Department now occupies the former church building. The parsonage now serves as a Bed and Breakfast for guests of Drury College.

NOTES:

1. Handbook Of Denominations In U.S., by Frank Mead. Abington Press, New 10th edition, Nashville, 1995, pp.292-295.

2. First Congregational Church, Springfield, Missouri 1869-1969, Centennial history booklet, 1969, pp.5-11.

3 The Drury Story by Frank W. Clippinger, Drury College, Springfield, Missouri, 1982, pp. 19-33.

4. First Congregational Church. op. cit., pp.15,23.

SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 9, 1927 -- LEADER

NOTE: The first four pages are missing. This issue begins with Page 5.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Items of genealogical interest in the Springfield daily news and the Springfield leader of Springfield, Greene County, Missouri for 1927, Part 2, Part 22

Author: Hall, William K. (William Kearney), 1918- Publication date: 1927 v. 2 Publisher: Number of Pages: 810

Author: Hall, William K. (William Kearney), 1918-
Publication date: 1927 v. 2
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 810