USA > Missouri > Livingston County > Past and present of Livingston County, Missouri : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 14
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Many a person and many an animal may feel grateful for these three lines of railroad grades, for they served to check the mighty force of the mad rush of waters that were de- scribed by persons who first saw their approach, "as a bank of water six feet high coming overland, through the pastures and woods." Otherwise many lives of persons and entire fam- ilies would have been swept down with the flood.
This checking of the waters and the timely action of citi- zens all along the river for many miles, afforded time and opportunity to rescue them in hurriedly made boats before the embankments gave way to the greater force of waters that followed on the heels of the first deluge.
It was fortunate indeed that the telephone existed, for towns up and down the river valley got word of alarm to each community in time to save the lives of the thousands that inhabited the lowlands. And each neighborhood passed the word along to others, by their use and the faithful telephone operators who were on duty that dreadful night.
In Chillicothe the streets in the business part of town took on an activity, never witnessed here before. Before there was light enough to see to mark a line with square and pencil, carpenters and many who were unused to using carpenter tools, were busy making boats from lumber that had been
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hauled from the lumber yards by transfer companies and in- dividual drays. These and all available boats were put into immediate commission early in the day, and by night-fall every family and its members had been accounted for who resided in the lowland district of the county.
For six days this flood lasted without loss of life, except one, that of a telephone repair man, who in some way fell from the top of a pole where he was repairing the line, into the water below, being unable to swim and to be reached by his fellow workmen in time, he was drowned.
The damage done was great, coming as it did, just before the farmers had threshed and hauled their wheat to market. Whole fields of wheat were carried away in the shock. Mead- ows and corn fields were ruined, the loose dirt of recent culti- vation, washed away, leaving the earth smooth, as though skinned with a sharp edged tool. Poultry and all kinds of live stock was swept away. Railroads, like the individual, suffered great loss. Miles of embankment with ties, heavy steel rails and bridges were carried away like paper toys in a gale.
From statistics furnished by conservative men in the va- rious counties of the state for that year or for the July flood in counties north of the Missouri river and ten counties south, 1,485,290 acres were overflowed and the crops destroyed in these counties amounted to $18,896,340. The destruction in many counties was extremely heavy, while in others it amounted to only a few dollars. This was due to these coun- ties being out of range of the valleys through which the cloud burst water would naturally drain. The heaviest loss fell in Howard, Livingston, Carroll, Daviess, Atchison, Chariton, Grundy and Holt counties, ranging from $500,000 to $1,500,- 000. Howard county headed the list at $1,500,000, while Liv- ingston came second with a loss of $1,200,000. Grundy was third with $1,059,840. Daviess lost a round million dollars ; Carroll, $960,000 and Holt, $825,000.
These figures represent only the loss of crops that were destroyed and not the loss to soil, fences and other farm prop- erty. A conservative estimate of the entire loss to Livingston
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county from that flood, including crops, live stock and other property, would be around two million five hundred thousand dollars.
While outside aid was proffered, it was not accepted. Liv- ingston county took care of its loss. Funds were raised to give relief and tide over sufferers until they could get started again. Seed corn and seed potatoes were purchased and distributed to the farmers to replant their land and at the close of the year there remained in this relief fund nearly two hundred dollars surplus.
The territory embraced by this great flood was between one-fourth and one-third of the acreage of the county. It was a phenomenal flood, not due to natural conditions but to a series of cloud bursts in Southwestern Iowa and Northwest- ern Missouri, the natural course of drainage in this territory, being the Grand river valley and that of Medicine creek. This accounts for the great loss. It probably will not happen again in a thousand years or more.
THE POPULATION OF THE COUNTY IN 1910
The population of Livingston county for the year 1910, according to the United States census enumeration, was 19,453, while the census for the year 1900 gave the population as 22,302, a falling off of 2,849. The consensus of opinion, how- ever, is that the enumerators were lax in their duties, although migration from the county during the decade intervening, to sections of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas was large. The population of the respective townships, including the four wards of the city of Chillicothe, for the year 1910, follows :
Blue Mound township, 1,007. Chillicothe township, 7,575. Chillicothe, First ward, 1,260. Chillicothe, Second ward, 1,612. Chillicothe, Third ward, 1,774. Chillicothe, Fourth ward, 1,619. Cream Ridge township, 1,285.
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Fairview township, 1, 105.
Grand River township, 1,081.
Greene township, 762.
Jackson township, 1,508. Medicine township, 536.
Monroe township, 992.
Mooresville township, 814.
Rich Hill township, 909.
Sampsel township. 919.
Wheeling township, 960.
ASSESSED VALUATIONS
The total assessed valuation of all property in Livingston county, including real estate, personal, railroad, and banks, is $ 10,400,000 for the year 1912. According to County Clerk, A. M. Shelton, this is less than twenty per cent of the actual value of the property. All bank stock and deposits are as- sessed at fifty-five cents on the dollar; well improved farms at about twenty cents on the dollar; the average assessments on all town lots in the county is two hundred dollars; horses, cattle, mules and asses at about twelve per cent of their actual value, while sheep, valued at from five to seven dollars per head, are assessed at fifty cents. Taxes are not oppressive and the financial condition of the county is in excellent shape.
The total population of Livingston county in the year 1840 was 4,325 ; of this number 2, 160 were white males; 1,922 white females; 115 male slaves and 126 female slaves. Total num- ber of voters, 835.
The assessors of the county returned for the year 1840 the following number of live stock and produce raised : 2,299 horses; 5,639 cattle; 1,883 sheep; and 17,925 hogs; 1,768 bushels of wheat; 4,699 bushels of oats; 135,598 bushels of corn; 3,587 bushels of potatoes; 3,802 pounds of wool; and 1,439 pounds of beeswax.
According to the old records of the county the following served as judges and clerks at the presidential election in 1840, at which time the whig party had renominated General
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Harrison for president, with John Tyler for vice-president, while Martin Van Buren and Richard M. Johnson as run- ning mates were nominated on the democratic ticket. This was known as the "hard cider" and "log cabin" campaign :
Chillicothe-Asil F. Ball, William Linville, Warren Waite.
Marion-Reuben Perkins, William Anderson, James Work.
Greene-Nathaniel Matson, Joseph Harper, William Woolsey.
Monroe-John Austin, Isaac McCoskrie, Robeson Bryan. Jackson-James A. Davis, Jesse Nave, Andrew Ligett.
Jefferson-Isom Ware, N. R. Hobbs, Samuel Ramsey.
Franklin-James Merrill, William Evans, William Thrailkill.
Madison-Philip Wild, Evans Peery, William Renfrow.
Washington-B. F. Wood, A. J. Walker, John McDowell. Lafayette-R. D. Slover, John Hart, Henry Moore.
Morgan-Peter Caine, James Morgan, Esquire Gardner.
It will be noticed the names of several of the townships were changed in later years.
Missouri, like many of the older states, held militia must- ers in the early days. Every township in Livingston county held musters at stated periods. Battalion musters, composed of militiamen from several townships, were held at Utica, Spring Hill and Chillicothe, while regimental drills were held annually at Chillicothe. Regimental drills or musters, as they were usually called, was a holiday for white and black alike. If the militia were not fortunate enough to own guns they would come armed with any makeshift for a weapon. Col. Joseph Cox was one of the most prominent figures in the first regimental drills. He was not familiar with army tactics, but his appearance in full regimentals, astride a pranc- ing steed, swinging his trusty blade above his head, struck terror to his subordinates and the more nervous citizens as he rode at the head of the column giving his command to "For- ward" in his stentorian voice. None enjoyed these musters Vol. I-11
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more than the darkies. In addition to the fun created and enjoyed by these drills, other sports, such as horse racing, foot racing, wrestling matches and other athletics were in- dulged in.
The population of Livingston county in 1860 was 7,417, while the slaves numbered 705. The slave population in many other counties in the state was much greater, notably those counties along the Missouri river. Owning slaves was not considered profitable in this county and for this reason many were sold into the far South.
The Southampton insurrection in 1831 and the murders of Nat Turner and his followers, caused slave owners in all sections of the slave states to be on the alert lest similar trage- dies might take place in their midst. Livingston county felt the necessity in those days to take precautionary measures to prevent an uprising and to this end and to prevent possible trouble, patrols were organized in various parts of the county. The first patrols were appointed for Greene township in 1844. Asa T. Kirtley was named as captain and his subordinates were W. E. Rucker, Addison Rucker, John Rockhold, F. Lyday, E. N. Guill and Warren Hudgins. It was the duty of this squad to patrol the territory allotted to them at least thirty-six hours in each month during the year and to keep a sharp lookout for any indications of an uprising of the blacks. These patrols were named by the county court.
COUNTY INFIRMARY
The "poor house," or sometimes called the poor farm, is known no more in Missouri, especially in humane and pro- gressive counties. Macon county was one, if not the first county, to adopt the plan of an infirmary and abolish the poor house, in which disease, pestilence and death to the indi- gent and infirm poor was the result. Following upon the ex- cellent results and reduction in the expense to the county, the court of Livingston county, in 1901, purchased land adjacent to the city of Chillicothe, and erected a commodious and substantial structure one mile south and west of the city, in
MISSOURI COTTAGE, INDUSTRIAL HOME, CHILLICOTHE
MARMADUKE COTTAGE, INDUSTRIAL HOME, CHILLICOTHE
BUILDINGS OF THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, CHILLICOTHE
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
which the indigent and semi-insane and idiotic are cared for in a most humane manner under the management of Super- intendent Robert H. Chittick, a most worthy officer. At the present only forty-seven inmates are sheltered and cared for in the Infirmary. The incurable insane of the county are sent to the asylum at St. Joseph or Fulton. Robert H. Chittick was appointed superintendent of the Infirmary in 1907.
THE INDUSTRIAL HOME FOR GIRLS
The State Industrial Home for Girls was established by an act of the Thirty-fourth General Assembly, approved March 30, 1887. The sum of $50,000 was appropriated for the building. A commission composed of the Governor, Attorney-General and the Register of Lands was appointed to locate the Home, and the commissioners were authorized to receive such donations in money, land or building material as might be tendered to secure the location. On July 28, 1887, the commissioners accepted a donation of $5,000 ten- dered by the citizens of Chillicothe through the Chillicothe Board of Trade, and located the institution on its present site in the city of Chillicothe.
Under the provisions of the act establishing the institution, the cottage plan was carried out by the management. On June 15, 1888, the wall of the basement of the first cottage having been completed, the corner stone was laid with impos- ing ceremonies, this cottage being known as "Marmaduke Cottage." Three more cottages have been added since and are known as "Missouri Cottage," "Slack Cottage" and "Folk Cottage." Besides these buildings several others have been erected, including a school building and chapel combined, a large boiler house of sufficient capacity to furnish steam heat and power for all buildings; also, a new administration building, a beautiful plot of ground immediately fronting the four cottages having been purchased for this building.
Seven hundred and eighteen girls had entered the institu- tion at the time of the close of the twenty-third fiscal year in 1910, and on the same date five hundred and ten had left it
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for various reasons, namely: good behavior, expiration of time, and other causes, leaving on January 1, 1911, two hun- dred and eight in the institution.
The general supervision and government of the Industrial Home for Girls is vested in a Board of Control of five mem- bers, who are appointed by the Governor for a term of six years. Members of the board receive their expenses and $100 per year. Annual meetings of the board are held on the first Wednesday in May of each year.
The first members of the Board of Control appointed by the Governor were William McIlwrath, Chillicothe; Mrs. I. R. Slack, Chillicothe; Mrs. L. U. DeBolt, Trenton; J. H. Shanklin, Trenton; and T. B. Yates, Gallatin.
The first officers of the institution were Miss Emma Gil- bert, superintendent; Miss C. A. Bowman, cottage manager ; Miss Mary Berry, teacher; Miss Augusta Fortney, house- keeper; George Marsh, engineer; and Andrew Nelson, night watchman.
The first girl committed to the institution was Mary Diaz, who was sent to the home from Cooper county on the 16th day of February, 1889.
The members of the Board of Control for the year 1912 were Boyd Dudley of Gallatin; F. B. Klepper of Cameron ; A. M. Shelton of Chillicothe; Mrs. W. P. Rowland of Bevier; and Mrs. Walter Brownlee of Brookfield.
Mrs. Isabella R. Slack was the widow of the late Gen. Wm. Y. Slack, who was mortally wounded at the battle of Pea Ridge during the Civil war and died a few days after. As previously stated she was a member of the first Board of Control in 1888, and remained a member continuously until her demise on July 22, 1911, being the only member upon whom such honor has been conferred by the several succeed- ing governors of both political parties. Her heart was ever kind and charitable, but firm for what she believed to be right while her sympathies and influence were a light and guide to the wayward of her sex and to needy humanity. As mother, friend or neighbor she had no peer and her life was both an inspiration and a benediction to the world about her. Quot-
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ing from the creed of the Hebrew prophet: "Justice, justice shalt thou pursue," and not only did she administer justice to all, but she ever loved to be merciful as well.
The eleventh biennial report to the Hon. Herbert S. Had- ley, governor, the Hon. Cornelius Roach, secretary of state, and the Forty-sixth General Assembly of the State of Mis- souri, which was submitted in compliance with the Revised Statute of the State of Missouri, the Board of Control of the State Industrial Home for Girls submitted the biennial re- port to December 31, 1910. This report included estimates for necessary appropriations and maintenance of the institu- tion for the twelfth biennial period. The reports also in- cluded the detail work by the superintendent, physician and treasurer, of which a brief recapitulation of the same is here- with included.
The number of inmates had not increased for the past biennial period. This was due to the fact that the capacity of the home was taxed to its utmost for lack of room. This condition was reported to the authorities in St. Louis, Kansas City and St. Joseph, from which the greater number of the girls are committed. To some extent this served to prevent the institution from being utterly overtaxed.
The Industrial Home is not a prison, but a moral home- like institution in which the unfortunate girls of this com- monwealth may receive a domestic and educational training, looking to their highest development and strength intellec- tually. The environments in which these girls have lived and the natures handed down to them through heredity are evils the superintendent aims to dispel and in time thoroughly eradicate through an "uplift" in the direction of a moral and Christian life. There is no relaxation in the discipline and the girls are treated as rational beings, not as creatures of depravity.
For the twelfth biennial period the sum of $175,000, ac- cording to estimates by the board would be required for the salaries and actual operating expenses of the home. Of this amount, however, $21,000 was included for the purchase of additional land.
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The superintendent, Mrs. A. M. Clay, in her report to the Board of Control says many people have questioned whether it pays the State of Missouri to attempt the rescue and re- form of these young wayward lives. To this question she replies emphatically, "Yes-two wrongs never made a right; many are half orphaned, others deserted, their homes broken up by death, drunkenness, desertion, divorce and poverty, and the downward course of many girls is due to one or more of these causes."
One of the beneficial and cooperative spirits of the home is the daily talk on items of general interest, discussions, etc., such as "The Reality and Result of Thought," readings from Marden's "He Can Who Thinks He Can," and Stoddard's Lectures. Illustrated lectures are also given, a fine stereopti- can being used in these instructive entertainments. A limited amount of farming is done, the plowing, shaping of beds and a small amount of planting is done by the men employed at the institution but the weeding, hoeing and gathering in of the produce is done by the girls.
As referred to in the historical account of the home, the whole scheme of the work is known as the family plan. The head or manager of the several families is responsible for the well-being of the girls and the sanitary and general condition of the cottage entrusted to her care. Each cottage also has a housekeeper who is in charge of the officers' and girls' dining rooms, kitchen and laundry. Other teachers and relief of- ficers go on duty each alternate Sunday and teach the inter- national lesson each Saturday evening. A system of grading has been adopted that is a great help in discipline. These honor grades are given the girls as a privilege to attend church in Chillicothe, to attend lectures or other entertainments in the city. Aside from this system the girls are supplied with report cards. These are inspected and signed by the family manager, whose position towards the girls is that of a mother.
The girls are uniformed. The day or school dress is of blue gingham, trimmed with two rows of white braid on the collar, cuffs, and belt, while the Sunday uniform is a shirt-
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waist suit made of shrunk Indian head muslin which in its weave closely resembles linen.
Many of the girls earn considerable money by doing cus- tom work in odd moments, which supplies them with "pin money." "Shopping Day" is a pleasant pastime and recrea- tion for them. Each family goes to the city once a month in charge of the manager and these outings are greatly enjoyed by the inmates.
When entering the institution the girls are classified ac- cording to age and general moral condition. The smaller children go into the Slack cottage, the intermediate ages being placed in the Folk and Marmaduke cottages, while the older girls are assigned to the Missouri cottage.
Family activities begin at six o'clock, when the girls arise and make ready for breakfast, which is served at seven. Next the morning work is performed by detail and at eight o'clock school begins. Dinner is served at half-past eleven, after which an hour's recreation is given from twelve to one o'clock. At the latter hour the A grade, composed of the girls who have been attending to the morning's work, repair to the school room and the B grade take up the work of the after- noon.
The Marmaduke cottage is the home of the orchestra and brass band and here they are given daily instructions by a competent teacher. There is also several club organizations in the home, including culture clubs, baseball, etc. The ball teams and band have fine uniforms.
The Missouri cottage was erected in 1895 and was con- structed similar to the Marmaduke cottage. The older girls are in the Missouri family. The family club is the "Clay," having for their motto "Our life is what our thoughts make it." The clinic room is located in this cottage.
Slack cottage was the third to be built and was completed in 1901. The name of this cottage was chosen in honor of Mrs. Isabella R. Slack, who was a life-long friend of the in- stitution and its inmates and was always untiring in her ef- forts looking to the redemption and future welfare of the girls. This cottage is the home of the smallest children, their
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ages ranging from seven to fourteen years. "Slow but Sure" is the name of the cottage club, whose motto is, "Speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil." One of the girls of this family won a prize for an essay on "Missouri and Her Re- sources" offered by the State Board of Immigration of Mis- souri in May 1910, the prize being a full blood Holstein calf.
The Folk cottage was the last one erected and was orig- inally intended for incorrigible negro girls, but the other cot- tages being over-crowded at the time the building was finished, the Legislature of 1907 directed the board to use the building as would best subserve the interest of the institution. "I'll Try" is the club name of the Folk cottage and the motto "She can who thinks she can."
The school building of the institution contains seven reci- tation rooms and auditorium with a seating capacity of three hundred. The branches taught embrace those usually taught from the first grade to the high-school and corresponds pre- cisely with that of the best public schools of the state.
Industrial work is strongly emphasized, consisting of fancy cooking, bread making, dining and laundry room work, plain and fancy sewing, etc. All of the wearing apparel of the girls of the home is made in the sewing department of the school.
The first graduating class of the home was in 1909, when fourteen girls graduated. A second class graduated in 1910. composed of ten girls. Clay modeling and basketry is also taught in the home. The domestic science department was opened in 1910.
On entering the institution the girls are taught the various industrial pursuits which enable them to carry on the work of home-makers, seamstresses, cooks, or laundresses. On be- ing admitted each girl is given two changes of clothing throughout. During the last biennial period the sewing de- partment has turned out 352 blue dresses, 19 white dresses, 401 underskirts, 346 school aprons, 216 kitchen aprons, 92 shirtwaists, 178 corset covers, 416 nightgowns, 490 drawers, 160 extra sleeves, 18 baseball suits and 4 Santa Claus suits.
So efficient have many of the girls become in domestic work that they are often called to the aristocratic homes of the city
BASE BALL NINES IN ATHLETIC PARK, STATE INDUSTRIAL HOME FOR GIRLS
.......
A CLASS IN PHYSICAL CULTURE, STATE INDUSTRIAL HOME FOR GIRLS
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to properly arrange tables for luncheon and serve the family and invited guests.
The musical department has become of great and influen- tial interest to all the members of the home. Organized only three years ago this institution now has one of the finest orches- tras in the state. The present director of the orchestra and cor- net band is thoroughly capable and under his tutorship the or- ganizations have advanced rapidly. Both orchestra and band are sought after by managers of Chatauquas, fairs, celebra- tions and entertainments throughout the state.
Resident ministers of the city conduct services, the various denominations alternating. Sunday school and Bible history lessons are conducted by the superintendent and her assistants.
The home library, embracing fiction, travels, culture, music, history, theology, poetry, essays and scientific works, consist of several thousand volumes.
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