USA > Missouri > Livingston County > Past and present of Livingston County, Missouri : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 26
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Rambo was in town a considerable part of the day previous to the robbery; but in the evening started out in his wagon. It was ascertained the next day, that he unhitched his horses in the woods about a mile and a half or two miles south of town, where the wagon and one of the horses were found . The other horse he rode on his robbing expedition.
Rambo was a farmer and lived in the south part of the county, about eight or ten miles southeast of Chillicothe, where he owned about four hundred acres of land. He had, however, been in pecuniary difficulty for three or four years, and the general opinion was, that when his affairs came to be settled he would be a bankrupt. It was supposed that this condition of affairs induced him to engage in the desperate undertaking in which he lost his life. He was a large, portly man, with a well formed head and intelligent, though sin- ister-looking face. He was fifty-four or fifty-five years old.
He left a family of the highest respectability, for whom the deepest and sincerest sympathy was felt. The deed of the father worked no attainder; his ill fate has not been remem- bered against his posterity nor his shame made a part of their inheritance.
Manso and Munro were indicted, pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to the penitentiary. Each served his time, returned to the county, and has ever since conducted himself in an upright, honorable and exemplary manner, winning the respect and esteem of the community.
Following is a copy of the report of the school trustees of
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Chillicothe made and published in 1860. The little book con- taining the original in manuscript is in possession of Clayton Keith, Louisiana, Missouri. Judge Wm. C. Samuel and Dr. William Keith were two of the trustees of the public school of Chillicothe in the years 1859, '60, and '61. At Doctor Keith's request his son, Clayton Keith, took the enumeration of the children of school age in the fall of 1860 for the western half of the city and two weeks later in passing Judge Samuel's of- fice he called young Keith in and said, "Clayton, I guess you'll have to take my side of the town, the east half, for George Warder, my stepson, don't seem to have time to do it." "Why he's got as much time as I have, Mr. Samuel, for we are in the same class." "Yes, but he's too busy writing poetry to attend to a little thing like that." So young Keith took the east half of the town and wrote out the report and handed it to Mr. Samuel on the following Saturday for which he was paid a two dollar bill. This was the first money the boy had ever made with his pen. Here is the report :
Annual report of the trustees of district No. I in township 58, range 24 in Livingston county, Missouri, including the City of Chillicothe, Missouri, for the year ending the first day of December, A. D. 1860.
Number of males west of Locust street. 165
Number of females west of Locust street. 161
Total number over 5 and under 20 years of age. 326
Number of males east of Locust street. 219
Number of females east of Locust street. 195
Total number over 5 and under 20 years of age .. 414
Total number over 5 and under 20 years in the city 740
Number of males in detached district. 59
Number of females in detached district. 30
Total number over 5 and under 20 in detach. dist .. . 89
Total number in the district. 829
Total number of children (between 5 and 20) in township 57, being attached to 58 are. 236
Grand total 1065
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Amount of school funds paid .. $544.00
Amount reserved for Miss Temple. 24.00
Amount reserved for Mr. Loop. 37.00
Amount reserved for detached district.
70.00
Amount received. $675.00 WM. KEITH, W. C. SAMUEL,
Trustees.
CHILLICOTHE, Mo., November 25, 1860.
THE JACKSON UNIVERSITY
It requires teachers of experience and ability to prepare young men and women for the business affairs of the world. Remunerative office positions, whether in the capacity of sten- ographer, bookkeeper, short hand, typewriting, penmanship, letter writing, or along other lines, cannot long he held un- less the student has taken a full and thorough course of train- ing. Any one of these requirements may he had at the well known Jackson University of Business of Chillicothe. This institution of learning was established in 1898 and from its modest beginning it has been one of advancement and prog- ress. Since its establishment hundreds of the graduates from this school have stepped into positions of trust and prominence in the commercial world.
The university is located in one of the finest and most sub- stantial buildings of the state, and the several department rooms of the school are handsomely fitted up for the comfort and convenience of the students.
The university is a compromise between the standard busi- ness colleges and the schools of higher learning. Here are con- densed the good points of the former, the schools of adver- tising, salesmanship, boys and girls preparatory schools, and other lines that emphasize the development of the mind and character. The subjects taught are bookkeeping, banking, shorthand, typewriting, pen art, business penmanship, letter
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writing, punctuation, grammar, commercial law, commercial arithmetic, rapid calculation, advertising, philosophy of his- tory and literature, business philosophy, salesmanship, voice culture, character development, best thoughts of best thinkers, the art of making friends, piano, dancing, physical culture, parliamentary law, debating, etymology, and commercial geography.
This college differs from other business colleges in many respects. Some of the points of difference are as follows : night school free to day school students ; strongest English de- partment of any other business school in America; finest quar- ters; a free correspondence school for the benefit of the stu- dents; the world's desire bureau, which is free to the regu- larly enrolled students; only school of business in this country that has a dancing hall and a dancing teacher; a broad-gauged and sympathetic manager who neither suspends or expels students.
THE CHILLICOTHE BUSINESS COLLEGE
The year 1890 was a very important one in the history of Chillicothe as it witnessed the location, erection and beginning of the Chillicothe Normal School, of which the present in- stitution, the Chillicothe Business College, is the successor.
It was quite an undertaking, a big undertaking in those days, to raise the money necessary to erect buildings adequate for such an institution as was promised and given Chillicothe. The founder of the institution, Allen Moore (senior) came to Chillicothe early in 1890 from Stanberry, Missouri, where he had successfully been conducting a similar institution, but having disposed of his interests there, he was looking else- where for a location. His attention was called to Chillicothe because of the progressive spirit displayed upon every hand, the great agricultural wealth of the surrounding country, the superior railroad facilities and the fact that many of his family connections lived in the adjoining county of Linn.
The proposition President Moore offered the citizens of this splendid county was to institute and maintain a normal
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school similar if not greater in success and reputation than the school at Stanberry. That he could do this, he asked the citi- zens of Chillicothe and Livingston county to organize a corpo- ration, purchase desirable grounds and erect thereon a build- ing for school purposes. He agreed to erect upon these prem- ises a dormitory of three stories as a guarantee that he meant good faith and would conduct the school. He agreed further to pay a certain rental for the use of the college building.
The citizens accepted the proposition and started out with the most united and determined effort ever displayed in this section of the state. The soliciting work was directed by W. B. Leach, Thos. McNally and Moses Alexander, but committee after committee of earnest and enthusiastic workers visited every part of the county, house after house was can- vassed and recanvassed and business man after business man was waited upon. It was a gigantic undertaking but none too gigantic for the determined citizenship of Livingston county. Chief among the contributors to the fund of $25,000 were the following who bought stock in the corporation amounting to $500.00 each : John H. Abshire, Jas. M. Davis, Jas. A. Grace, Wm. E. Gunby, G. G. Henry, A. Lowenstein, Thos. McNally, Sidney McWilliams, Geo. Milbank, P. H. Minor and Henry Walbrunn.
Never was there a building in Chillicothe, considering its size and importance, built as hurriedly and substantially as the old Normal building. Every available space was occupied by a workman and in a few months' time, the splendid edifice was completed.
The institution was incorporated in 1890 as the Chilli- cothe Normal School and Business Institute and the follow- ing composed its first board of directors : Jas. M. Davis, Wm. B. Leach, Thos. McNally, Moses Alexander, John L. Schmitz, Jas. A. Grace, John Morris, John Atwell, Wm. E. Gunby, John H. Abshire, Geo. Milbank, A. Lowenstein and Jos. C. Minteer.
The building was completed in the early days of autumn. During the busy summer, President Allen Moore (senior) was without doubt the most active man of all North Missouri.
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He had to dispose of his interests at Stanberry, overlook the erection of his buildings, organize his school work, gather about him a faculty in keeping with such an institution, give the proposition the advertising it demanded, etc. In fact, there were a thousand and one things calling upon him for attention.
The day for the opening arrived. It was a great day for Chillicothe, one which had been anticipated with much in- terest and enthusiasm for months. The large auditorium was packed, many of those much interested in the success of the institution could not gain admittance. Among the crowded listeners were many students, pioneers as they are called by the loyal alumni. Addresses were made by President Moore and a number of the citizens most prominently identified with the realization of Chillicothe's great hope, to become an edu- cational center. Chief among these addresses was one by Col. W. B. Leach, who perhaps gave more time and untiring effort to this great undertaking than any other citizen.
The first faculty consisted of the following :
Allen Moore (senior), president.
Wm. H. Buck, professional branches.
Eugene Hart, Greek, Latin, history.
L. D. Ames, higher mathematics.
J. H. King, bookkeeping and commercial branches.
E. F. Fielding, shorthand and typewriting.
R. R. Wade, asst. shorthand and typewriting.
U. G. Alexander, penmanship.
Miss Anna Golden, elocution.
Miss Williams, music.
A. L. Russell, band music and photography.
Mrs. Mattie Locke, matron.
John L. Schmitz, lecturer on commercial paper. Frank Sheetz, lecturer on commercial law.
L. A. Chapman, lecturer on constitutional law.
W. B. Leach, banking.
Dr. M. H. Wilcox, dentistry.
Dr. R. Barney, Sr., special senses.
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Dr. W. A. Henderson, general anatomy.
Dr. W. R. Simpson, narcotics.
Dr. S. M. Beeman, digestion.
The scope of work was at first confined to courses in the common school branches, pedagogy, science, classics, book- keeping, stenography, penmanship, elocution, music and photography.
The school enjoyed an enrollment of more than six hun- dred the first year, a great achievement, a splendid reward for the untiring efforts expended during the few months be- fore. The attendance grew, the reputation of the school spread, the faculty became larger and stronger, more courses were added, more graduates declared the institution their Alma Mater as an inevitable result, more room was needed.
The corporation did not feel able to erect the additional building necessary, so finally consented to sell the property to President Allen Moore (senior) so that the third build- ing could be built and the growth of the big institution not hampered. The third building was erected in 1900, ten years following the founding of the institution and fully eight years following its urgent need.
The work done in the Chillicothe Normal School was of the highest merit, as shown in the readiness with which the state university, state normals and colleges accepted its grades and allowed full credit for its work.
It was a sort of pioneer in the normal field and hence dur- ing its early days the normal work predominated. Many a successful teacher points with pride to the work done in this noble institution and to the assistance it proved to be to him.
But conditions changed. The spirit of progress influenced matters educational as well as industrial. Our state uni- versity received a large income from the state; biennial ap- propriations were largely increased; the university intro- duced more academic and normal work; and state normal schools received more liberal appropriations from the state. Not only this but two new state normals were erected. Col- leges aided by liberal endowments introduced more academic
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work into their curricula. But this was not all. High schools enlarged, became more efficient and offered better courses than they had been offering before. All this tended to supplant the private normal.
Again, the spirit of commercialism rapidly grew. The commercial spirit of the people manifested itself in the in- creased attendance of the commercial departments in this and all private normals. Not only this, but there was a de- mand for telegraph operators, and the Chillicothe Normal School, true to its progressive spirit, introduced telegraphy and railroad work into its curriculum, the first institution to introduce telegraphy into a normal college.
During the years following the beginning of the institu- tion, many teachers gave a good part of their life work to imparting knowledge to those who came in quest of truth. Many of their names have become as a part of the walls of the gallant and revered old building that still occupies its place upon the old campus, as impressive as of old. Among these teachers may be mentioned : G. A. and E. H. Smith, Fred B. Brady, D. S. Robbins, G. M. Billmeyer, W. F. Canaday, Lee Maupin, J. D. Carter, E. E. Reed, R. E. Moss, Jno. D. Rice, W. W. Chenoweth, F. L. Maxwell, Elmore Lail, Geo. W. Becker, F. W. Hallett, W. A. Vandegrift, Misses Viola Millay, Neva Hunt, Margaret I. Wilson, Sadie Bradford, Carrie M. Brant and Minnie B. Hale.
On January 9, 1907, Allen Moore (senior), founder of the institution and to whose untiring effort and unsurmountable energy may be attributed the glowing success of this school known throughout the nation, passed to his reward. His whole life was centered in the institution he had founded and had built to its great proportions. He had planned for its continuation and had reared his sons with this idea ever before them, that they should continue his life work. Con- sequently following his death, Allen Moore, Jr., became presi- dent and Roy Moore became vice president.
Upon assuming these duties, the faculty which had lab- ored so faithfully with their father was retained and much of the responsibility was borne by Professors Fred B. Brady
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and F. L. Maxwell, two of the teachers most intimately asso- ciated with the management of the school prior to this sad change in management.
The institution continued for almost three years along the lines originally laid out for it, but as the demand for business education grew, the business departments became more and more important until in the fall of 1910, the normal depart- ment was abandoned and the institution turned into a strictly business college. At first, only the advanced work in the normal department was dropped, classes still being maintained in all the branches required on the different grades of certifi- cates in Missouri, but with the opening of the school year in September, 1911, this work was also dropped. With the changing of the big sign upon the tower over the entrance to the main building, the transition of the Chillicothe Normal School to the Chillicothe Business College, the style of the present institution, was completed.
The Chillicothe Business College is concerned with train- ing its students in those branches of study best calculated to fit young men and women to cope with the business world.
Since the change was made, the institution has taken unto itself a new and marvelous growth surpassing the fondest hopes of those most interested in it. The growth has been such that during the two years it has been running as strictly a busi- ness college, its attendance has increased to such proportions that an additional building became a necessity. This led to the erection of Dryden Hall, a thoroughly modern dormitory of twenty-four rooms for young men.
The college enjoys the distinction of occupying the largest plant in America devoted exclusively to business education. Its patronage has not only become national in scope, but each year a few students are enrolled from foreign countries.
The following courses are now offered: Banking, book- keeping, auditing, stenography, stenotypy, typewriting, court reporting, civil service, telegraphy, railway mail clerk, agri- culture, salesmanship and pen art.
The course in agriculture is just being installed and has been added to meet the demands of the times for more infor-
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mation to enable the farmer to make the best use of his natural resources and his labor. So far as we know, this is the first agricultural school to be conducted without aid of public funds.
Looking over the big institution during its twenty-three years of history, it has meant much not only to the city of Chillicothe, but to the educational interests of the central west. On an average 1,000 students have been enrolled an- nually. This means that approximately 25,000 men and wom- en throughout the nation point to this school as their Alma Mater. Many of them have attained positions of no little re- nown, many have become prominent in the professions, while others have become powers in business. The institution is a towering monument to the efforts of one man, Allen Moore (senior), aided by the cooperation of a faithful and loyal citi- zenship.
LODGES AND CLUBS
Friendship Lodge, No. 89, A. F. & A. M., was first organ- ized in Chillicothe in 1847. The present officers are: Henry S. Adams, W. M .; William Walsh, secretary. The lodge meetings are held the first and third Friday evenings in each month.
Chillicothe Lodge, No. 333, meets the second and fourth Friday evenings of each month. The present officers are: E. E. Hoenshell, W. M .; J. W. McCormick, secretary.
Chillicothe Council, Royal Select Masters, No. 28, meets the first Monday in each month. The present officers are : J. Wm. Reynolds, Th. Ill. master; Reuben Barney, recorder.
Lone Star Royal Arch Chapter, No. 30, meets the second and fourth Tuesdays in each month. The present officers are : William A. Summerville, H. P .; John W. Toppass, secretary.
Paschal Commandery, No. 32, K. T., meets the first and third Mondays in each month. The present officers are: H. H. Pardonner, E. C .; Reuben Barney, recorder.
The Masonic Board of Relief meets quarterly. The offi- cers are: Preston Randolph, president; Reuben Barney, sec- retary.
The Masonic Temple Association meets the second Thurs-
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day in each month. The officers are : Preston Randolph, pres- ident; Reuben Barney, secretary.
The Masonic Temple is one of the finest and most substan- tial buildings in Chillicothe. It was erected and completed in the fall of 1895 at a cost of $18,000.
I. O. O. F., Chillicothe .- A meeting was called Jan- uary 14, 1856, for the purpose of organizing an Odd Fellows lodge in Chillicothe. At this meeting H. T. Grill, then dis- trict deputy grand master, presided. The following officers were elected: R. R. Mills, N. G .; George Pace, V. G .; U. T. Green, rec. sec'y; H. W. Lansing, sec'y; B. F. Carpen- ter, treasurer. The charter was granted to Lodge No. 91, I. O. O. F., May 21, 1856, with the following charter members : V. W. Kimball, R. R. Mills, M. W. Yeager, G. W. Call, U. T. Green, George Pace, Jesse Hoge, John Ewing, D. H. Kenny, Rev. Wiley Clark, B. F. Carpenter, H. W. Lansing and John Henderson. The lodge held its meetings in Waples' hall, the present site of the Mohrs furniture store, until the Civil war, when on January 12, 1863, it was disbanded, the late Hon. Chas. H. Mansur taking charge of the books and the soldiers occupying the hall. A soldier from Harrison county clandes- tinely appropriated the lodge Bible and later pawned it to a barber named James Grubb, whose shop was under the old Harvey house at the northwest corner of the public square. The barber kept the Bible until the close of the war and when the lodge was reorganized in 1865 he became a member and restored the book to the lodge. The reorganization took place July 18, 1865, in Masonic hall with C. H. Mansur, E. H. Be- ment, R. R. Mills, J. W. Hearne, J. L. Malkin and D. W. C. Edgerton present, at which time the following old members were reinstated : J. P. Moore, James Leeper, M. A. Thorn- ton, John McDonald, John Henderson, A. Rogers and F. P. Hearne, and the following officers elected : J. W. Hearne, N. G .; D. W. C. Edgerton, V. G .; E. H. Bement, secretary ; John McDonald, treasurer. July 2, 1866, the lodge moved to Bell & Moore's hall on the east side of the public square, where they remained for a number of years, removing thence to the Gunby hall on the west side, where they remained until the
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completion of their new hall on Washington street, which was erected at a cost of $9, 172.52 and was occupied August 17, 1891. The building was unroofed by a wind storm January 29, 1909, entailing an expense of $1,400 in repairs. The lodge, however, has been prosperous, its present membership being 191, and on January 27, 1913, a jubilee meeting was held, at which time the total indebtedness against the lodge was re- ported liquidated and the bonds burned in the presence of the members and a large number of visiting brothers from other lodges.
Chillicothe Encampment, No. 67, I. O. O. F., was insti- tuted by District Deputy Grand Patriarch William McClel- . lan, March 12, 1872, and the charter granted May 24, 1872. The following officers were elected: David Burberry, chief patriarch; E. H. Bement, high priest; C. R. Berry, scribe ; C. H. Mansur, treasurer; B. F. Berry, sen. warden; H. B. Thaxton, jun. warden. The name of the camp has been changed to Ideal Encampment and it now has a membership of 300 in good standing. The present officers are: John Mit- chell, C. P .; J. E. Winn, H. P .; W. A. Lewis, sen. warden ; M. E. Perryman, jun. war .; M. L. England, scribe; L. Carl- ton, financial scribe; Ira Graham, treasurer.
The Daughters of Rebecca, Lodge No. 43, Chillicothe, was instituted in Chillicothe, August 3, 1889, Mrs. R. A. De- bolt, district deputy, presiding. The charter was granted May 23, 1890, with the following charter members: Mr. and Mrs. Z. B. Myers, D. Stewart, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Tanner, Mrs. Jennie Voris, Mr. and Mrs. A. T. Benge, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Missman, Mr. and Mrs. S. England, Mr. and Mrs. S. K. Richards, Mr. and Mrs. F. B. Porter, Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Turner, Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Henderson, Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Mormon, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Sherman, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Huffman, Mr. and Mrs. H. Cunningham, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Pratt, S. Shook, Mrs. Mary Burberry, R. Stewart, B. A. Rapp, J. J. Nellis, Miss Sallie England, Miss Lillie England, Miss Josie Clem, Miss Sadie Henderson, S. A. Stone, W. B. Caston, D. Hargrave, Charles Gitner, R. H. Haddock, W. R. McVey, O. W. Edmonds, C. W. Missman and wife and C.
CIHLY.NOTHE
BURLINGTON STATION. ERECTED AT A COST OF $20.000
ELKS' CLUB HOUSE, CHILLICOTHE
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
A. Loomis. The following officers were elected : Mrs. Emma Tanner, noble grand; Miss Annie Stewart, vice grand; Mrs. Jennie Voris, recording secretary; Mrs. Marinda Turner, financial secretary; Miss Sallie England, treasurer. The lodge now has a membership of 121 in good standing. The present officers are : Mrs. Margaret Laney, noble grand ; Mrs. Carrie Dice, vice grand; Miss Edna Hood, secretary; Mrs. Nannie Mitchell, financial secretary; and Mrs. Victoria Mil- ler, treasurer.
The Chillicothe Lodge, No. 656, of the Benevolent Pro- tective Order of Elks was organized March 9, 1901. The charter members and first officers were as follows: Virgil Dil- lon, exalted ruler; Wadsworth D. Leeper, esteemed leading knight; Arthur J. Simpson, esteemed loyal knight; Fred B. Brady, esteemed lecturing knight; Burdette V. Gill, secre- tary; J. H. Mansur, treasurer; B. F. Wilkerson, esquire; George E. Braun, tyler ; H. M. Grace, chaplain ; D. F. Cron- hardt, inner guard; C. F. Adams, E. H. Moss and Chris Boeh- ner, trustees; Wm. A. Eylenburg, D. M. Hamlin, Jos. Wall- brunn, R. S. Hall, John F. Hawley, W. E. Scott, C. A. Faus, J. W. Stone, Jr., Herman Berg, Paul D. Kitt, Wm. J. Mohrs, Frank Sheetz, E. K. Hunter, and G. H. Lawson. The lodge used the third floor of the Wallbrunn building for their lodge meetings and club rooms for almost nine years. In February, 1907, the England lots at the corner of Jackson and Elm streets were purchased and in the spring of 1909 work was begun on the erection of the present building owned by the Chillicothe order. This home was built at a cost of about $20,000.00 and is considered one of the finest in the state. The building was completed in January, 1910, and Chillicothe Lodge moved into its new home. This lodge now has 215 active members. The present officers are as follows: John L. Schmitz, exalted ruler; Robert L. Williams, esteemed leading knight; Allen Moore, esteemed loyal knight; Forest M. Gill, esteemed lec- turing knight; Karl M. Blanchard, secretary; Fred B. Brady, treasurer; Malcomb Perryman, esquire; John W. Williams, tyler ; Edwin M. Switzer, inner guard ; and Charles
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