USA > Missouri > Nodaway County > Past and present of Nodaway County, Missouri Volume I > Part 22
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PLATTE VALLEY BANK.
This bank is located at the sprightly town of Ravenwood. and it was organized in 1892, with A. G. Bently as president : Harvey Joy. cashier. It continued under this management until 1896. at which time Joy sold his interest to J. C. Fryar. It continued under that management until July. 1904. when it was incorporated with the present directors: James Dack, Isaac Barton, James Colvin, W. T. Jackson and J. S. Casteel : W. T. Jackson, pres- ident : J. S. Casteel, cashier.
WRIGHT BROTHERS BANK OF PARNELL.
This was the first bank established in the eastern part of Nodaway county, organized September 18. 1888, with a capital of five thousand dol- lars. Its owners were the brothers. W. M. and U. S. Wright. The business grew from the start and the capital was increased from time to time, until it was incorporated January 1. 1907, with a capital and surplus of thirty thousand dollars. U. S. Wright. president : H. E. Wright, cashier. The de- posits on hand January 24. 1910, were two hundred thousand dollars. At the date last named the bank was sold to its present owners and the name changed from Wright Brothers Bank to the Parnell State Bank. The capital was reduced to fifteen thousand dollars, and the surplus to seven thousand five hundred dollars.
PARNELL STATE BANK.
As above indicated, the foundation of the Parnell State Bank was the old Wright Brothers Bank. It was organized January 24, 1910, as the successors to Wright Brothers. The officers are: Horace Jones, president ; C. C. Hall, vice-president : Fred A. Breit, cashier. The stockholders are as follows : Horace Jones. C. C. Hall, Fred Breit, Roy Fitzsimons, George L. Felton, W. A. Boyer and A. Waldeier.
The capital stock is fifteen thousand dollars, with surplus of seven thousand five hundred dollars.
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THE FARMERS BANK OF PARNELL.
This banking house was founded in the spring of 1910, with twenty thousand dollars subscribed stock. The officers are J. W. Kennedy, pres- ident ; W. N. Morgan, vice-president ; H. O. Gray, cashier. The last named had been the cashier with Wright Brothers Bank for several years. This new bank has, of course, not made much history as yet, but seems to have launched in the business under favorable circumstances and times.
BANK OF GUILFORD.
The Bank of Guilford was organized by charter from the secretary of state, A. A. Lesuer, December 23. 1890. The organizers were: Albert Roecker, the veteran banker of Bregon, Missouri, his son-in-law, E. M. Aus- tin, and Samuel Walker. At first the capital was ten thousand dollars, which was increased to fifteen thousand dollars in 1905 and again in 1909 to twenty thousand dollars. It has ever been the policy of the bank to use its profits to build up its business.
The first president was Albert Roecker, with E. M. Austin, cashier. Mr. Austin was succeeded, in turn, by T. D. Parr. J. C. Hocker. George Beggs, Eunice M. Parr and Carl Wray. The present officers of the bank are : Joseph Meyer, president : J. L. Ballard, vice-president : Carl Wray, cashier.
This bank occupies the southeast corner of Main and Elm streets. The building is a handsome structure made from pressed brick and stone, built in 1901, in connection with the Masonic fraternity, which occupies the second floor for lodge room purposes.
BANK OF CONCEPTION AT CLYDE.
This bank was organized in 1895, by a stock company, with the follow- ing officers : John Wirth, president ; John Allen, vice-president : J. P. Hardin, cashier. The capital stock of the bank has been fifteen thousand dollars from its start. The present officers are : Robert Moffatt, president ; Leo King, vice- president : Anna Wirth, cashier. This bank is doing a good business for the size of the town in which it operates. It is in a rich farming community and many farmers patronize the bank which has always been conducted correctly.
BANK OF PICKERING.
The Bank of Pickering was established November 1, 1900, with a capital of five thousand dollars and in May, 1908, increased to ten thousand dollars. The officers have been the same from the organization and are as follows : C.
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A. Wolfers, president : Howard Wray, cashier. It has made good dividends and had a steady, healthy growth from its start.
THE JACKSON BANK AT CLEARMONT.
The Jackson Bank was organized in 1892 at Clearmont, with Henry Weber as president and Guy C. Clary as cashier. The capital is now ten thous- and dollars. Considering the size of the town of Clearmont and the near- ness to the banks at Burlington Junction, this bank has always had its share of business.
BARNARD STATE BANK.
The Barnard State Bank was organized in 1892. Its present capital is twenty thousand dollars. Its president is S. J. Smith and the cashier is John A. Fields. Within a good section of the country and a fair town of intelligent people, this bank had been doing a safe, successful business.
QUITMAN FARMERS BANK.
The Farmers Bank of Quitman was organized in 1885. It now has a capital of ten thousand dollars and has the following officers: J. S. Bilby, president ; H. C. Bailey, cashier. We are not in possession of more facts about the banking history of the town of Quitman.
ARKOE STATE BANK.
The Arkoe State Bank, at the town of Arkoe, this county, was organized in September, 1909, with ten thousand dollars capital. It is located near the track and is within its own neat, brick building. Its officers are: Samuel Carrough, president; J. T. Goff, cashier. This is one of the last banking ventures launched within Nodaway county.
BANK DEPOSITS IN THE COUNTY.
The following was published in February, 1910, as the statements given out to the public on the last day of December, 1909, showing the deposits held in the various banking institutions in Nodaway county. The figures speak for themselves :
Maryville National Bank $ 515,771.00
First National Bank of Maryville 492,542.26
Nodaway Valley Bank of Maryville 462.563.94
Real Estate Bank of Maryville 159,079.35 Parnell State Bank 185,935.73
Platte Valley Bank. Ravenwood
148,809.32
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Farmer's Bank of Skidmore
158,685.72
Bank of Skidmore
75.863.37
Farmer's Bank of Quitman 36,654.67
Bank of Guilford 99.784.82
Bank of Conception (Clyde) 83.131.43
Northwestern Bank of Burlington Junction 1 18.430.63
First National Bank of Burlington Junction 127.364.62
Bank of Hopkins 206.318.75
Farmers and Merchants Bank of Hopkins
107.157.08
Barnard State Bank
1 42.882.32
Jackson Bank, Clearmont,
102,869.81
Farmers and Merchants Bank, Elmo
88,097.79
Farmers State Bank. Conception Junction.
16.176.43
Citizens Bank of Graham
I 30,860.57
Arkoe State Bank
14.679.43
Bank of Pickering
86.463.87
$3.560.123.13
Maryville leads in total deposits with $1.629.956.55. The towns in the county having more than $150.000 deposits are : Hopkins, $313.000: Burling- ton Junction. $245.000 : Skidmore. $234.000; Parnell. $186,000.
CHAPTER XVII.
AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTY.
(By Prof. Albert Hogan.)
Any important industry in which men engage will usually find some locality especially fitted for that enterprise. Nodaway county is one of those favored spots, for it has long been recognized as one of the greatest agricul- tural districts in this or any state. The story of this county is essentially a story of its farms, and if a true agricultural history of this county were written, this topic alone would not only fill many hundred pages, but there would be little else needed to make its history complete.
The county is vast in extent, containing nearly nine hundred square miles, or five hundred and fifty-three thousand nine hundred acres. It is one-half the size of Delaware and has less waste land and more fertile soil than any other like territory in the commonwealth of Missouri. Also many remarkable features are connected with the development of this county, and perhaps one of the most striking is the almost incredible rapidity with which it has grown. Every available acre is now a part of an improved and productive farm. Every farmer lives in a comfortable and often luxurious dwelling, and his stock is sheltered by large and commodious barns. This is what might be called an old county so far as could be told by the character of its inhabitants or the conveniences and comforts of their dwellings. In only one respect. however, is it new, and that is its, as yet, almost untouched resources. Con- ditions have changed, however.
Strange as it may seem at the present time, it is barely seventy years since the first white settler came to this county. At that time numerous Indians still roamed over the rolling prairies of northwestern Missouri. Deer. antelope and even elk were plentiful. The wildcat and similar animals were then dangerous, while all kinds of birds and other small game were especially numerous in this locality. This condition is now almost completely changed. though naturally the transition was at first gradual. Newcomers were at first rather slow to settle here, markets were distant, and all facilities for suc- cessful agriculture were lacking, except the exhaustless fertility of the soil.
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Perhaps the first white man to make any kind of a permanent settlement here was Isaac Hogan. He came with a number of other Tennesseans to what afterwards became Nodaway county and cleared a home in the spring of 1839. His clearing was about one-half mile south of the present site of Graham, and this was the only white settlement in the county that year; it seems that the other men in the party did not remain. The next year was marked. however, by several arrivals. In he spring of 1840, Hiram Hall settled about eight miles south of what is now Maryville. That same fall, Joseph Hutson and Thomas Heady settled on the Nodaway river in what is now Lincoln township. About the same time. Col. I. N. Prather, of Kentucky, bought a large tract about eight miles south of the present site of Mary- ville. Of course this was just a beginning. but the tide of immigration now became stronger, and soon scattered clearings were to be found all over the county.
At the present time there is little timbered land in the county, and what remains is not especially desirable, except in isolated cases. At first. however, this was not the case. and. although it may seem somewhat strange now, all the earlier settlements were made in the timbered land. Of course, this necessitated an immense amount of labor. but is readily explained by the conditions then existing. Log houses had to be built, and as those first erected were not very comfortable in the severe winters, the pioneers felt the need of the timber as a kind of protection. Fence building was also at that time a serious matter. Cattle, hogs and horses were all permitted to graze over the open country, and for some time deer and other animals were still plenti- ful. This of course made necessary some protection for the crops, and this need was met by the old-fashioned rail fence, a few of which are occasionally found at the present day. Another point of some importance was the difficulty of breaking the heavy prairie sod. Many of the pioneer farmers did not own the teams for such heavy work, and a further difficulty was found in the fact that the plows of that time were not fitted for work of that nature. Per- haps another reason was, many of these first settlers came from timbered regions and the prairie was believed by them to be inferior to the timbered land. At any rate, the first labors of the newcomers was directed to the task of clearing the land. and where heavy timber once stood, frequently not even a lonely stump now remains.
The great changes in agriculture have not been in farms and methods of farming alone: the spirit itself has changed. The modern farmer is an am- bitious business man : he produces as much as possible and sells for as much
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as possible. This was not always the case, however : the men who first estab- lished homes here had no reason at that time to operate on a large scale. In fact, they had not come for wealth. Some of the more hardy and restless came as a kind of adventure, others came that in this new country they might have homes of their own. They brought with them a few head of stock- hogs, cattle and a few horses. The hogs usually ran wild, finding, however, abundant food in the roots and mast of the timber. Perhaps the cattle were the most useful, as they furnished both milk and meat as food, and were much used as beasts of burden. No doubt the instinct to "swap" horses was just as strong sixty years ago as it has ever been since, but there was no real market for stock of any kind until years later.
Conditions were much the same with the various farm crops and there was no incentive for the business-like procedure found today. Many of these farmers, bringing their slaves with them, had come from Virginia and Ken- tucky, and were accustomed to growing hemp, so this came to be a staple crop in this county, and remained such until the war. Flax also did well at that time, and some successful farmers say it could be grown at a profit now, at least where the ground has not become foul. Buckwheat was also grown in some quantity, in fact, nearly every farmer had a small field. Tobacco was grown on a small scale, usually producing a very fair quality. Good hay could be had by anyone willing to cut it, for the prairie grass grew every- where in great abundance. From the first, however, corn was a crop of some importance, though the method of cultivation would now be considered rather tedious. The corn had to be planted with a hoe ; nor was this all. Cultivators were not yet invented, and even for some time after the war, it was customary for the whole family, girls as well as boys, to spend the hot summer days in the luxurious pastime of hoeing corn. This corn was especially valuable as it served for food for both man and beast. That now rare article, corn bread, was then almost a daily ration and, with the humble hoe cake, constituted a staple table delicacy. Some wheat was raised, occasionally rye and oats. Of course there was no market for such products. St. Joseph was for years the nearest shipping point, though at a somewhat later day the railroad was ex- tended from St. Joseph to Savannah, which brought the market a trifle nearer.
Another point of interest, and one which was of importance in the de- velopment of the county, was the building of mills. The first of these was built in 1840, near the place now known as Bridgewater. It was established by William A. Cox, of Ohio, and was of course a small affair, with a capacity of only a few pounds per hour. The year following. Andrew Brown, also
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PAST AND PRESENT
from Ohio, built a small mill near the present site of Graham. Its capacity was somewhat greater, five or six bushels per hour could be ground, and it had a hand bolt in addition which was turned for flour. A few years later, Hiram Lee built another mill near the present location of Quitman. It also was a rather modest affair, with a capacity of perhaps fifteen bushels per day. In 1848 another was built by A. Terhune, one mile north of where Skidmore now stands. The tide of immigration was well established now, and many large mills were built in the years following. These small affairs were of great service. however, and, although it was nothing for men to ride or drive twenty miles to one of these mills, they were often glad even then to wait, perhaps many hours, for a turn at the mill.
Agriculture was necessarily somewhat depressed during the war, but after peace came the real development of the county began. The value of the land at this time was, of course, not great : the improved land could be bought at a price of twenty to twenty-five dollars per acre. Raw land could be bought for almost nothing. Much of the land was unfenced, and many men made a business of running cattle and horses on the open range. The population now increased rapidly, however, the open ranges were closed, and all land of any value was fenced into farms. The price of land also gradually rose. and these factors together called for a new order in farming. Another factor of great importance was the railroad. The first was called the Kansas City. St. Joseph & Council Bluffs railroad. It reached Maryville in the fall of 1869 and was completed to the Iowa line the winter of the following year. The development of farm machinery was also an important factor, stimulat- ing as it did the science of agriculture throughout the entire country. Mow- ing machines and reapers became quite common ; the double shovel was used in the cultivation of corn, though it was soon replaced by the more modern cultivator, which made it possible to cultivate a whole row at once.
Among the contributions to the advancement of agriculture, probably none is more worthy of mention than the introduction of clover, timothy and other forage crops. The most important of these is undoubtedly clover. though its importance has not always been appreciated. This valuable legume had not grown into general favor until in the seventies, although it had been grown to some extent for perhaps twenty years. Naturally. the need for such a crop was not so great at first, when the land was new. Now, how -. ever, it is not only recognized as one of the most nutritious of our forage plants, but also as one of the most important from the standpoint of soil fertility. Another item to be remembered is the introduction of blue grass.
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NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI.
Apparently the first effort to introduce this grass was made by Jehu Ware, who brought a small amount up from Andrew county early in the fifties. The attempt was successful, and from that time blue grass slowly began to spread, though it was several years before it became the general pasture grass it now is. Of equal importance, perhaps, in many ways, was the introduc- tion of the fruit growing industry. Mr. Ware, who was among the first to introduce blue grass here, was also among the first to bring fruit trees here on anything like an extensive scale. He brought some grafted trees, also some seedlings, from Andrew county in 1852. A few years later, in 1857, T. WV. Gaunt started a nursery in the southern part of Maryville. He continued in business nearly all the rest of his life, until 1898 to be exact, and was for years the standard nurseryman of northwest Missouri. Many orchardists in this and other states depended on him for reliable stock, and the large number of fruitful and profitable trees obtained from him is a most fitting tribute to his skill and integrity.
Although the development of agriculture has been steady and consistent, the farmers here have been compelled to meet some obstacles and difficulties. Among the most serious was the panic of 1873, which came at a most inop- portune time. Because of the hard times resulting, many lost practically all they had. Another disaster was met in the grasshopper scourges of 1866 and 1875, when two-thirds of all crops were totally destroyed. The panic of 1893 was also a serious matter, and droughts, rainy weather, etc., have done great damage, but nothing has been able to stop the permanent and continuous development of the county.
Inasmuch as the activities of Nodaway county are now directed chiefly to the production of stock, it might be well to note the rise and rapid advance of the stock-raising industry. It is said that up until 1870 there was scarcely a pedigreed animal in the county, and really first-class stock even was rarely found. The more intelligent men of the county, however, business men as well as farmers, began to feel the need of better and more caerful methods. The immediate result was the organization of the county fair. A temporary organization was effected first, and a stock show held September 30, 1871. In view of the important results, it might be well to give the names of the men who had this fair in charge. The committees were as follows: On horses, S. K. Snively, Col. J. H. Davis and W. Snively ; on cattle, E. S. Stephenson, E. Powell and J. E. Alexander ; on hogs, Frank Bellows, Col. M. B. W. Harmon and William Leeper; on sheep, S. T. Kennedy, George Downing and Adelma Stingley : on miscellany, G. N. Paige, George Huebeck
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PAST AND PRESENT
and John Dean ; on finance, John Ham, William Anderson and A. P. More- house. John Ham was president of this organization, M. G. Roseberry. treasurer, and A. C. Case. secretary. The premiums totaled sixty dollars and fifty cents. At present that would seem a ridiculous small sum, but those men were not exhibiting for money alone. At any rate, it is doubtful if money was ever put out at a better interest rate than the sixty dollars and fifty cents ; for the returns are richer now than ever before, and they are constantly growing.
The success of this first fair was so decided that a permanent organiza- tion was formed October 28. 1871. A. P. Morehouse was president, William Anderson, vice-president, I. K. Alderman, secretary, and John Ham, treas- urer. The capital stock was six thousand dollars, and was divided into three hundred shares of twenty dollars each. As stated before, when this fair was organized there was practically no pure-bred stock in the county, while at the time it closed in 1871 it was one of the leaders in the state, and needless to .say it has held this position ever since. The first fair lasted one day and little but local stock was shown. The first directors were as follows: M B. W. Harmon, John Albright. A. P. Morehouse, W. R. Mckenzie, G. N Paige. A. Stingley, Samuel T. Ware. Thomas L. Martin, John Ham, William Anderson, Samuel T. Kennedy and William Swinford. The fair started with an indebtedness of two thousand five hundred dollars but by 1881 had paid off all debts and had a surplus of seven hundred dollars. The fair of 1872 continued four days, and nine hundred dollars was expended in premiums. By 1881 almost five thousand dollars had been paid out in premiums, and eight hundred to one thousand five hundred was annually expended on the grounds in the way of improvements. The last fair opened September 26 1881, and lasted four days. In these latter years the best specimens of farm animals from all over the United States were brought here and frequently beaten by local entries. It is unfortunate that the fair had to be discontinued. though it must be admitted that at this time it was not paying expenses. This has been explained in various ways; hard times probably had something to do with it. though the chief reason seems to be that the farmers of the county felt that the management of the fair was not in undivided support of their interests. A revival of the fair has been considered, and if capably managed, this might well become a center which buyers and fanciers of every kind of good stock would gladly attend.
However that may be, the good results of this organization in the past can not be doubted. Within a period of ten years Nodaway county had
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NODAWAY COUNTY, MISSOURI.
emerged from comparative obscurity, so far as the live stock business was concerned, and become a recognized center. Many men had a part in this, and among those most deserving of mention is James B. Prather. Early in the seventies he became interested in thoroughbreds and fast horses generally. and at the outset it might be stated that he met with remarkable success. He established the stock farm "Faustiana," fitted it up for the horse business, and came to have what was once considered the best stud of thoroughbreds in the United States. Many splendid specimens came from the Prather stables and made themselves and their owner famous. No horses were better known in their way than "Jim Gray," or "Galen." Other horses of national reputa- tion were "Fostes" and "Billet;" and no doubt many horses in this section could trace their ancestry to the big bodied trotter "Jester," or another per- haps equally famous. The breeders of cattle were more numerous and scarcely less successful. Among the first men to engage in the pure-bred cat- tle business was Frank Bellows. He procured some choice Shorthorns in 1870, and remained in business until his dispersion sale in 1894. Others were M. B. W. Harmon, proprietor of the Oakdale stock farm. He kept Short- horn cattle, and later Duroc-Jersey hogs. At various times Messrs. Dean, Miller, Linville. Leeper, Hooker, Wright and others perhaps equally worthy of mention have been engaged in this business. Another name that ought to be mentioned is that of W. T. Garret, long active in the county fair, and successful as a breeder of Poland-China hogs. In spite of the success, how- ever, which many men attained in the stock business, it is not to be thought that this was an unmixed blessing to all. Like any other venture, it required business judgment and familiarity with the many details. In the first place the business was somewhat overdone in a few special features, also some were not fitted for such an undertaking, and so met disaster.
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