USA > Missouri > Johnson County > The history of Johnson County, Missouri : including a reliable history of the townships, cities, and towns, together with a map of the county; a condensed history of Missouri; the state constitution; an abstract of the most important laws etc > Part 49
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112
The Ancient Order of United Workmen. - Was organized June 9, 1879, as "Sandstone Lodge," No. 137, with the following as the first offi- cers: W. M. Foss, P. M. W .; M. T. Ward, M. W .; G. N. Richards, G. F .; C. A. Shields, O .; Samuel Davis, Recorder; D. P. Faulkner, Financier; M. B. Carpenter, Reciever .; H. C. GillĂșm, G .; John Opp, I. W .; E. L. King, O. W. The charter was granted by the grand lodge of the State of Missouri, John Vinsil being G. M. W., and William C. Richardson, Grand Recorder. The meetings are held in Odd Fel- lows' hall on Pine street, on the 2d and 4th Thursdays in each month.
The present membership is thirty-five, and the officers are as follows: J.
419
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
N. Richards, P. M. W .; M. B. Carpenter, M. W .; W. C. Wilkins, G. F .. M. T. Ward, O .; J. M. Upton, R .; D. P. Faulkner, F .; B. F. Jacobs, R., John Opp, G. The lodge is in a good financial working condition.
Order of Mutual Protection .- Warrensburg Lodge, No. 29. This order was originated in St. Louis some time during the year 1878, and chartered by the state. It issues life insurance policies of $1,000, $2,000, $3,000 and $4,000, and the assessments on each member range from thirty to sixty cents on the thousand, according to the age of the insured.
The Warrensburg lodge was organized May 19, 1881, with the follow- ing named persons: R. Baldwin, president; W. W. Wood, vice-presi- dent; 'James K. Tyler, treasurer; E. M. Shields, secretary; W. H. Hickman, chaplain; F. L. Braden, guide; J. M. Harrison, examining physician. The order now numbers fourteen, and is in good condition to advance its principles, and furnish cheap and reliable assurance on the life of its members.
The city has two excellent brass bands composed of colored men. One of them can hardly be surpassed in the state.
The Ladies Union Relief Society .- Organized in January, 1881, for the purpose of relieving the wants of poor people in Warrensburg. It had become apparent that many needy persons within the city must receive the aid of those more fortunate, accordingly a committee from each church was appointed who should take the matter in charge. The com- mittee, consisting of a full representation, met in the Free Reading Room, and devised plans for raising money and supplies. On Thursday night, January 27, a lecture at the M. E. church was delivered by Dr. W. M. Prottsman for the benefit of this society. During the month of February over thirty dollars was expended for the relief of the poor. The officers of the society are : Mrs. Prof. Osborne, President; Miss Emma Kane, Sec- retary; Mrs. Waddy Thompson, Treasurer. The executive committee consists of one lady from each church. Four members of the executive committee are appointed to care for the poor each month.
MISCELLANEOUS ENTERPRISES.
Post-Office .- Warrensburg post-office was established A. D., 1836, with John Evans, a bachelor, as postmaster. He served about two years, when Harvey Dyer succeeded to the same position, also remaining in office about two years. About the year 1840 James S. Reynol was appointed postmaster, continuing in office about four years. Flemming H. Brown next served the public in this capacity. The next name which we have found connected with the administration of postal convenience here, is Mrs. O. S. Heath, who held the position of postmistress for several years. She was succeeded for a short time by John M. Beard, then again secured the appointment, which she retained till 1865. D. W. Reed was succeeded
420
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
by Stephen J. Burnett in 1866. Capt. Burnett was succeeded by Josiah Smith in 1872. February 1st, 1876, J. W. Brown was first appointed, and reappointed in February, 1880. During the forty-five years in which a post-office has been established in Warrensburg, at one time or another, nearly every store in the city, in turn, has had the office. Its headquar- ters have been exceedingly transient. Since the present efficient and accommodating postmaster commenced serving the people in 1876, material passing through this office has greatly increased. Then 10,000 postal cards would supply the demand for three months; now it requires 25,000 postal cards to supply the demand for the same length of time. Eight years ago 20,000 3-cent stamps were ordered each quarter; now 30,000 is hardly enough. Since Mr. Brown took the office, money orders have greatly increased in number. Then the money orders issued had reached number 9,000; now the number is above 19,000. Stamped envel- opes, paper wrappers and all other departments of the business have about doubled. Besides the mails from rural districts at different times during the week, two mails arrive and depart, both east and west, daily on express trains. The present postmaster is a courteous and affable gen- tleman.
The Depot .- In the year 1864, the Missouri Pacific rail road was com- pleted to Warrensburg, and on the national birthday of the same year the stars and stripes floated over the newly completed depot, raised on high by the hand of George S. Grover, the first agent. The road had pushed on to Holden and Kingsville in 1865, but Warrensburg was the end of a division, also the nominal terminus for a considerable time. This being the nearest railroad connection with the east, for a wide scope of country, immense quantities of freight were shipped to this point. Six or eight cars of merchandise per day was not considered above the average. Twenty or thirty freight teams at the same time were frequently seen crowding around the station to bear away lumber, farm utensils, provis- ions and all other kinds of merchandise needed in a new country, trans- porting it to Clinton, Butler, Harrisonville, Nevada, Ft. Scott, Montrose and other points south and west. A daily stage line for passengers and express connected with Lexington, Clinton and Kansas City. The station house was completed July 4, 1864, the main building being 125 feet long and 30 feet wide, with a platform about 300 feet in length. There are three apartments, the ladies sitting room, gentlemen's sitting room, bag- gage and freight room, besides the ticket and telegraph office. The track in front of the depot and for some distance east and west of the same, has a grade of 75 feet per mile, descending towards the west. The express business, from the completion of the road in 1864, till January 1, 1880, was managed by agents of the United States Express Company, now by
421
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
agent of the Pacific Express Company. The express business of former days amounted to about $10,000 yearly. The express agent from 1864 to 1879 was George S. Grover, now residing in St. Louis, and since the latter named date E. T. Pennington. The telegraph business was at first transacted with the use of one wire; now five wires connect Warrensburg with all points of the compass. E. T. Pennington became the operator in October, 1865, and is still superintendent of that branch of the railroad business, though J. I. Middleton is the present day operator, and W. C. . Morton night operator. Express, passenger, accommodation and freight trains run as follows: Express trains leave the depot going east at 9:24 A. M., and 9:34 P. M. for Sedalia, Jefferson City, St. Louis, connecting at Sedalia and St. Louis with trains bound to all points in this and other states. Express trains leave for Holden, Independence, Kansas City, and all other points west and southwest at 5:36 A. M. and 5:41 P. M. Five accommodation and freights leave in each direction at different times dur- ing the day and night. The passenger traffic has greatly increased since Mr. Pennington, the present gentlemanly agent, first took charge of the station. The sale of tickets amounts to over $2,000 per month. The fare to Kansas City is $2.00, to St. Louis $6.55, it being 67 miles to the former and 218 miles to the latter. In the early history of the road the fare to St. Louis was $11.25, in 1872, $9.80.
To furnish the reader with an idea of the amount of freight shipped
- from Warrensburg during the year ending August 1st, 1881, we give the following estimate: Flour, 366 cars; bran and feed, 50 cars; wheat, 185 cars; stone, 766 cars. The average number of car loads of stone will annually reach 800, though sometimes far exceeding this estimate. During the year 1873, over 1,400 cars of quarried stone were transported to St. Louis. To proceed with our estimate for 1881: Cattle, 100 cars; wool, 5 cars; sheep, 5 cars; scrap iron, 3 cars; logs, 6 cars; apples, 5 cars; corn, 43 cars; hogs, 155 cars. George S. Grover, who took charge of the rail- road agency in July, 1864, is the son of Col. B. W. Grover, who was the chief of that movement in 1852, which obtained for Johnson county the location of the Missouri Pacific R. R. through its fertile fields. In the fall of 1867, Mr. John Conroy became agent, and held that position till June 24, 1872, when E. T. Pennington assumed the samc duties. During the agency of Mr. Conroy, one Sunday evening in the fall of 1867, a dar- ing robbery of the safe was perpetrated. The robbers presented a revol- ver, leveled at the head of the agent and demanded his keys to the safe, from which they took the sum of $800. Aside from the above, no rob- bing or pilfering about the depot has existed to any noticeable extent. The present employes are, E. T. Pennington, agent; V. B. Pinkston, clerk; James Lynch, baggage-master; J. I. Middleton, day operator; W. C. Morton, night operator.
422
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
Banks .- The first bank established in Warrensburg was organized in July, 1858, and was known as the Branch of the Union Bank of Mis- souri. The officers of the bank were, W. H. Colbern, president; W. H. Anderson, cashier, and S. P. Williams, book-keeper. This bank was organized with a capital of $100,000, and did a very extensive business during the few years of its existence. At this time there was a very extensive trade in stock of all kinds, and much speculation in land, and the banks did a large business loaning out money at ten and twelve per cent per annum. But in a few years after the organization of this bank the war came on, and as it did everywhere, so especially here in Warrens- burg, it paralyzed all business and made money in any shape very unsafe. In the early part of the war, all money of the banks in circulation was taxed ten per cent, and hence they had to suspend business. In June, 1861, this bank became very uneasy about its money, for it was just when two invasions of opposing armies were threatening Warrensburg. The officers of this bank consulted about the matter and made an arrangement with John Parr to bury the money under his hearthstone. Mr. Parr lived two and a half miles south of Warrensburg on the Clinton road. Accordingly, about midnight, in the month of June, Dr. William Calhoun, W. T. Logan, W. S. Hume and W. H Anderson, took this money out to the residence of John Parr, who had made all preparations for them by sending away his slaves and his children, leaving nobody but himself and his wife, and raised his hearthstone and dug a hole of sufficient size, and then placed the money in it, putting back the stone as it was before. This money, consisting of $75,000, was kept in strong wooden boxes, each containing $15,000, making five boxes in all. This money was kept here under the hearthstone till October of the same year. But in the mean- time two armies had passed through Warrensburg and taken all the money they could get their hands on. One was the federal army led by Colonel Dare of Illinois, and the other was the rebel army of General Sterling Price. In October, the cashier of the St. Louis bank, of which this was the branch, came to Warrensburg, and with the officers of this bank went out to the residence of John Parr and took up this money. It was then carried in a hack to Sedalia, where it was sent by express to the St. Louis bank. The owners of this money considered themselves very for- tunate in thus saving this money. All the money that was saved, had to be thus kept from the soldiers. Mr. W. H. Anderson carried around next to his person, $17,000 of his own money for several months, but finally deposited it with the money of his bank, in the St. Louis bank. This branch of the Union bank of Missouri, entirely suspended in June. At the same time of which we have been writing, W. H. & G. W. Col- bern were carrying on a private banking business on a small scale, with a capital of about $20,000.
423
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
During the war, after the suspension of the Branch of the Union Bank of Missouri, there were no banks in Warrensburg. But in 1866, A. W. Ridings & Company organized a bank bearing the above name. This bank started with.a capital of about $31,000. Its officers were, A. W. Ridings, president, and James Ward, cashier. This bank did a very suc- cessful business, but in 1869 was changed into a national bank with a cap- ital of $100,000. But in November, 1878, this bank failed, and its busi- ness was wound up, the stockholders being the only losers.
In 1869 Cruce and Colbern organized a private banking house on a capital of about $20,000. This bank had no president but was managed mostly by W. G. Colbern. But in 1872 this was changed into what was known as the Johnson County Savings Bank with Geo. W. Colbern as president and W. H. Anderson cashier. It had a capital of $50,000, but has since been increased to $60,000. This bank has been extremely suc- cessful, paying the stockholders a large dividend. It has paid out since its organization $49,200 to its stockholders, and has on hand at present a surplus fund to the amount of $9,000. The building is a fine substantial brick, owned by Mr. Colbern. It is now one of the most reliable banks in the country, its present officers being G. W. Colbern president, and M. Young cashier.
Warrensburg Savings Bank was established July 28, 1871, with a capi- tal stock of $55,000, and composed of about sixty stockholders. The officers at its organization were E. A. Nickerson president, S. P. Williams cashier, and Joseph P. Henderson secretary. The bank failed in June, 1879, and the stockholders will probably lose nearly all they have subscribed, though the business has not yet been settled.
The second bank now doing business in Warrensburg is known as the Bank of Warrensburg, and was organized January 3, 1881. It has a capi- tal stock of $25,000. Its officers are H. Y. Hughes, president, J. H. Kinsel cashier. They own the building formerly belonging to A. W. Riding & Co. This bank is now doing a very successful business.
Flour Mills .- About the year 1856 William Dougherty built the first flour mill in this city. It was located about a half mile southwest of Old Town. It was a large three story brick with stone around the lower story, and had two run of burs. Mr. Dougherty kept this mill running through the entire war, though on several occasions the soldiers made raids upon him and took all his store of grain.
Not many years after the war Mr. Dougherty sold his mill to his brother-in-law, John Smith, who run it only two or three years, and then moved it to Holden, where he is now doing a very successful business.
The next mill of any importance established in Warrensburg is the " Eureka Mills," built in 1867, and owned and run hy Land, Fike & Co., a
424
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
firm composed of the following gentlemen: H. C. Fike, Nathan Land and Moses Land. This is one of the largest mills in the west. It is a large frame structure four stories high, with a base 74 feet long and 55 wide. It has a run of six burs, two pairs of rolls for crushing the bran and middlings, and three purifiers for purifying the grain. The engine of this monster mill has a two-foot stroke and a cylinder fourteen inches in diameter. It is a new engine with a boiler of seventy-five horse power, and of latest pattern. The company have just expened $3,000 in improvements, making altogether $40,000 they have put in the building. They have eleven hands at work constantly, running night and day, and besides keep eight or ten coopers busy, making barrels for them to ship flour in. They obtain most of their grain from the surrounding country. They grind on an average 200 barrels of flour a day, and ship on an aver- age one car load containing 125 barrels, and besides do a very extensive local business. The branch of the Missouri Pacific railroad that runs out to the rock quarries passes by this mill, and the cars are loaded right from the door of the mill.
The second large flour mill in Warrensburg is the Magnolia mills. It was completed in October, 1879, and is owned by Hartman & Markward. The mill is situated about a square west of the depot on the north side of
- the railroad. The building is a large frame structure 50 by 60 feet, and is four stories high. It has five run of burs, two purifiers and three clean- ing machines. The engine is a sixty horse power and runs day and night, keeping eleven hands employed all the time. This, in many respects, is the most popular mill in the state. Their orders for flour come in so rapidly that they nearly always have orders ahead. They ship principally to St. Louis, though they do a large home trade. Their daily average is 120 barrels of flour and they generally ship a car load a day. Their flour took the premium in 1880 at the St. Louis fair and the " Magnolia flour " has: a reputation extending far and wide over all the west. Their different kinds of flour are known as the Magnolia Fancy, Magnolia Choice and the Magnolia Atlas.
Warrensburg grain elevator and mill. This is a very large elevator, southeast of the depot and just across the street from the Simmons House. This elevator was built in 1869 by S. M. and E. C. Fitch. It is a large frame building 40 by 66 feet and 75 feet high. In 1878 this elevator was sold to H. R. Fitch & Co., a firm composed of H. R. Fitch and F. M. Smithton. This firm has a flour mill of ten run of burs attached to their elevator. They have an extensive local flour trade, selling on an average twenty-five barrels a day. They have a thirty horse power engine and keep six hands employed. This flour mill addition'was put up in 1879. This firm ship on an average in one season, 200,000 bushels of grain. It
.
425
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
carries on the most extensive business of any elevator in this part of the state. Warrensburg has another elevator, owned by E. K. Simmons, the proprietor of the Simmons House. This elevator does a very fine business, but has no mill attached, but has a large granary connected with it.
The Warrensburg woolen mills are conducted and owned by Edward L. De Garmo & Co. It was built in 1867 and has been run ever since by the same firm. The building is a large substantial brick 100 by 25 feet and three stories high. It has an engine of twenty horse power, keeps sixteen hands busy, often running at night, and they turn out daily an average of 200 yards of all kinds of goods, such as jeans, flannels, cash- meres, blankets, yarns, etc. Their wool is brought from all the neighbor- ing counties. They work up 500 pounds a day, besides they buy at least 30,000 pounds a year, or more, that is not made up into goods but sold as yarn. Their goods are sold extensively in St. Louis, Kansas City, and over all other parts of this state and over a large part of Kansas and Illi- nois. Their cashmere and jeans have a very widespread reputation, orders often being received from the distant state of California, and also from Iowa. This is destined to be one of the greatest woolen mills in the state.
Warrensburg brewery is situated in the southeastern portion of the city, and was established in 1865 by Philip Gross. This brewery did a very extensive business, making 2,000 barrels of beer a year, until 1873, when it was burned down by the temperance workers. Since then Mr. Gross has set himself on foot again but does not do so much business. . He has a large stone building, two stories high, and runs his business by horse- power. Mr. Gross now has his malt shipped to him from St. Louis or Kansas City, but he made his own malt before he was burned out. He is now doing a very successful business, making over 500 barrels of beer a year, and bids fair to rise to his former business status. He supplies with beer a large part of the adjoining counties and ships some to St. Louis and Kansas City.
Urie & Co.'s foundry is owned and conducted by the above firm, com- posed of David Urie and W. Y. Urie. It has a large frame building and commenced business in 1874. They get their iron in pigs from St. Louis, and make up 250,000 pounds of iron a year, keeping constantly employed seven or eight hands. Urie & Co., make all kinds of farm implements and keep the neighboring country supplied with the same, besides ship- ping extensively to Kansas and Iowa. This company has a very rapidly increasing business, and will no doubt, in a few years, be one of the lead- ing foundries in the west.
Warrensburg Co-operative Building Association was organized in 1870, and has ever since done a very successful business. The association is
426
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
governed by a board of directors, consisting of seven members of the stockholders. The following are the members at present: Dr. G. R. Hunt, W. P. Hunt, F, M. Prussing, Fred Hoberling, H. Rosenthal, W. H. Hartman and B. Loebenstein. Dr. G. R. Hunt is president of the association and W. P. Kinseller, secretary; the by-laws providing that the secretary shall not be a member of the board of directors. This asso- ciation meets the second Tuesday in each month, and at this meeting pays up all fines and dues. Their officers are elected at the regular meeting in April. The association at its regular meetings makes provision for invest- ments during the following month. The association is conducted on strictly business principles, and has been a great benefit to Warrensburg.
The first agricultural fair held at this place was on the ground now occupied by the residence of Mrs. B. W. Grover, in the year 1857. But in the following year, twenty acres, one half of a forty, was bought by the agricultural association, just south of New Town, and near the pres- ent corporate limits. The fair was run with success financially, till the commencement of the war. It was then suspended till about 1867, when it was reorganized by the same old company. After giving one exposition it was very much improved in the following year; $15,000 was spent in erecting a large amphitheater and floral hall. The result of this was that the directors did not make enough money to pay the expenses of these improvements. Hence, after a few years the fair grounds had to be sold and were bought by the creditors. These grounds are now owned by Drummond & Bros., who are doing an extensive business in manufacturing sugar and molasses.
The first hotel in Warrensburg was built in 1837, by Young E. W. Berry. It was located on the north side of the public square in Old Town, on the site of the residence now owned by D. R. Smith. It was a small log house of six or seven rooms, just such houses as were built in those days. Mr. Berry kept this hotel several years, but about the year 1840, he sold it to John Mayes. Mayes acted as proprietor of this hotel two years and then rented it out to Joseph McLeary. But McLeary run it for only a few years. It was finally bought and improved by John D. Smith in 1856, and under his management was known as the " Mansion House." But at the commencement of the war John D. Smith died and the hotel was closed out. The next hotel was owned and run by Zache- riah T. Davis, the father-in-law of W. H. Anderson. The house was at first a private residence made of logs and owned by Henry B. Mayo. When Mr. Davis bought it for a hotel in 1841, he took the building which was a double, two-story log house, and weather-boarded the logs and annexed a frame addition, making a good-sized house of about eight or ten rooms. . After Mr. Davis had run the hotel six or seven years, he sold
427
HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
it to his son-in-law, W. H. Anderson, and Mr. Anderson soon afterwards rented it to Daniel Rentch, who run it as a hotel two or three years. It was finally sold by Mr. Anderson to Thomas Ingle, and kept by him as a hotel all during the war. Col. J. D. Eads bought it at the close of the war and for several years rented it to private families. About 1876 it was bought from Col. Eads by the Germania Club and is now known as the Germania Hall. It is situated southeast of the public square in Old Town, and is still a substantial building. The third hotel established in Warrens- burg, was built by James Bolton in 1857, and was known as the " Bolton House." It was located on the south side of public square in Old Town.
This was a large building, with ten or twelve rooms in it, and was the best hotel at the time in the city. In 1861 the soldiers took possession of this and made of it a hospital and guard-house. All during the war this house was the home of sick and wounded soldiers. Gen. Brown'bought the building at the close of the war, and after keeping it a short time, sold it, and it was taken to pieces and moved off and put into other buildings. Such was the end of the Bolton House. This was the last hotel built in Old Town. In 1865 the Redford House, as it was called, was built south of the Missouri Pacific depot, where now stands the Simmons House. This was a large frame building, and contained about fourteen rooms. But in 1868 the hotel was burned and the Simmons Hotel built in its stead. This hotel is much the largest hotel in the city, and affords very fine accommodation for the travelling public. The only other hotel now car- ried on in Warrensburg is what is at present known as the Eads House. The building now known as the Eads Hotel was built in 1870 as a church of the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination; but in 1875 it was bought by A. W. Ridings & Company and enlarged for a hotel. It has since been bought and is still owned by Mrs. J. D. Eads, and hence the name, Eads Hotel. This hotel does an extensive business and is in every way first-class.
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.