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 54
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A brick building two stories high, and containing four rooms, was erected in 1870, but in a few years this was found too small, and then a small frame house of one room was built in the yard of the other building. But this again became too small to accommodate the number of pupils in attendance, and from that time to the present, a room over the Odd Fel- lows' Hall has been used for the smallest primaries now under the efficient" management of Miss Anna Stark. The school house yard contains about three acres of land well set in blue grass and interspersed with beautiful maple trees, making altogether a very lovely yard. We furnish below a complete list of the teachers from 1870 to the present time:
Teachers for 1870 .- Mr. S. H. Hatch, Mrs. E. J. Dudley, Miss M. H. Reed, Miss Kellogg. 1871: John A. Young, salary $100, Sallie Brooks, salary $50, Sallie Hubbard, salary $50, M. H. Reed, salary $50, Jennie Wise, salary $50, Kate Humphreys, salary $50. 1872: John H. Leas, Kate Humphreys, M. K. Beatty, P. R. Carol, Bettie Lewis, Sallie Hub- bard. 1873: W. A. Smith, A. L. Clothier, M. K. Beatty, Kate Hum- phreys, Carrie Gloyd, Saidie Hubbard. 1874: Geo. W. Sindlinger, Ida C. Clothier, Mary Brown, Julia McGrew, M. E. Lewis, M. C. Halbert. 1875: E. W. Stowell, Ida C. Clothier, Mary Brown, M. E. Brown, Alice B. Cline, Anna E. Sharp. 1876: E. W. Stowell, Ida C. Clothier, Mary Brown M. E. Brown, Lizzie Hanishaw, Anna S. Carroll. 1877: George B. Longan, M. Brown, R. M. Cook, M. E. Brown, Ida C. Clothier, Eva Hengy. 1878: George B. Longan, M. Brown, M. E. Brown, Mary C.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
Hank, Tillie Stephens, Eva Hengy. 1879: George B. Longan, M. Brown, M. E. Brown, Mary Bobbs, Mary Hank, Lutie Umstadt. 1880: W. D. Guttery, M. Brown, M. E. Brown, M. E. Hopkins, Anna P. Stark, Eva Hengy. 1881: A. C. Jones, salary $80, M. E. Hopkins, salary $40, Eva Hengy, salary $40, Anna P. Stark, salary $40, Maggie Sparks, sal- ary $40, Clara Wise, salary $40.
In the above list the principal of the school leads in the list for each year. The principal is always a`male teacher, and is paid as we see above, $65 to $100 a month, while all the other teachers are females, their salaries ranging from $35 to $50 per month. The financial business of this school was badly managed for a number of years, running the school deeply into debt, but under the present efficient management the debt is being rapidly paid off. The $1,500 which it now owes, it is thought, will be paid by the close of the present year.
In order to show the present condition of the school, we furnish below the report of Mr. W. C. Taylor, secretary of the board, to the county commissioner for the school year ending in the spring of 1881: Number of white persons in the district between 6 and 20 years-male, 270; female, 319; total, 589. Number of colored persons in the district between 6 and 20 years-male, 27; female, 29; total, 56. Number of white chil- dren in attendance during the year-male, 200; female, 215; total, 415. Number of colored children in attendance during the year-male, 27; female, 29; total, 56. Total number of days attended by such children- white, 36,032; black, 3,650; total, 39,682.
Average number of days attended by each child-white, 99; colored, 65. Number of days taught -white, 140; colored, 110. Number of children attending each day- white, 292; colored, 33. Number of teachers employed during the year -white: male, 1; female, 5; colored, 1; total, 7. Salary of teachers per month-white: male, $80; female, $60; colored: female, $30. Average cost per day for tuition of each child, 62 cents. Number of children may be seated, about 300. Value of property in the district, estimated at $7500. Rate levied for school purposes on assessment-general, 40 cents; interest, 60 cents. Cash in hand at beginning of year-white, $487.89; colored, $16.09; total, $494.98. Public funds and railroad taxes of county treas- urer-white, $1002.00; colored, $85.26; total, $1087.26. Teachers' wages during the year-white, $2116.00; colored, $165.00; total, $2281.00. Fuel during the year-white, $184.31; colored, $14.80; total, $199.11.
There are several other incidental accounts in the report, not necessary to mention in this history; but this will show to the reader the present condition of both the white and colored schools. The colored school has never had more than one teacher at a time. This school has been in oper- ation since 1868. It is under the management of the same directors as the white school, and is supported by the town of Holden.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
Newspapers .- The first paper established in Holden was published by E. Giles, the first copy being issued on the 29th of August, 1867. It was a large seven-column paper, and was called the Holden Enterprise. In the spring of 1871 Mr. Giles sold this paper to Mr. G. W. Richards, now of the Warrensburg Standard. About the year 1872 Mr. W. Sankey bought this paper from Mr. Richards, and continued the management of it till the spring of 1877. Mr. F. R. Kirkpatrick, who had started the Republican in 1876, then bought this paper, and merged this and his Republican into what was known as the Advance. This paper was edited by Mr. Kirkpatrick until October, 1879, when it was sold to Mittong and Cruce. In June, 1881, Mr. Cruce sold his interest to Mr. Mittong, and became editor of the Journal-Democrat, Warrensburg, Mo. The Enterprise is by far the oldest paper established in Holden; in fact, it may be consid- ered about the only paper that has lasted for any length of time. Yet this paper, for a number of years, could scarcely be considered a successful paper, since it changed hands a number of times within a few years.
But when it passed into the hands of Mittong and Cruce, they, by their energetic, faithful and enterprising labors in behalf of the Enterprise, made it what its name signifies-a paper devoted to the interests of the county and to the upbuilding of Holden; taking a firm and decided stand in its political views, being a strong advocate of Democratic principles, and at the same time truthful and conscientious in the discharge of its duties.
The popularity of this paper has so increased that it stands to-day sec- ond to none in the county. It has a circulation of 1,200, and is now regarded as the leading paper in the county. Its pages are read not only in this and adjoining counties, but it has an extensive circulation outside of the State.
The Holden Democrat was first issued from the office of the Enterprise on June 2, 1871, by H. Martin Williams and A. Raga, editors.
This office was burned down January 10, 1872, but all the material was spared and moved into the Daniels' building. In a few months Mr. Will- iams had to close out his office under a mortgage held by E. Roop, of Centerview, and under the management of Captain A. Raga the Hol- den True Democrat made its appearance and was conducted in the inter- est of Centerview, to bring the county seat there. In a little more than a year the material was moved to Houston, Missouri. In the meantime Mr. Williams had procured other material and resumed the publication of the Holden Democrat and continued it till July 31, 1872, when it was entirely destroyed, two of the printers barely escaping with their lives. Since then this paper has never been resumed.
The Holden Democratic Era was issued April 8, 1872, by E. Giles and only survived a few weeks.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
In February, 1874, Carpenter and Plum issued the Real Estate Reporter, a monthly, which continued but a short time.
In 1878, S. R. Whiting started the Herald, a kind of a family journal, that took no decided stand in politics, but that paper was discontinued in less than a year.
Until recently the newspapers of this town seemed to have the same fate. They were either sold out or discontinued, but the present pros- pects of the Holden Enterprise are such that all feel it will continue in every way to be a first class paper. Its present public-spirited proprietor, Mr. John W. Mittong, will not fail to do his part in building it up and making it such a paper as the people of Holden will be proud of.
Railroads .- The various struggles that had to be made, and the great sectional animosity incurred in many cases when the people of this county were working for the location of the Pacific railroad at this place, have been narrated in another part of this history. Mayor N. B. Holden, the man for whom the town of Holden was named, was in the legislature of the state at the time and did perhaps more than any other man in the county toward bringing the road here except Col. B. W. Grover, of War- rensburg. The state legislature located the road in this county about the year 1852, but it was nearly thirteen years before the road was built to Holden. The road had reached some point this side of Jefferson City when the war came on, and suspended all work upon it till near the close of the war. The railroad reached Warrensburg in the summer of 1864, but did not get to Holden till May 1865. But from that time on, the war being over, the work upon the road was prosecuted with vigor until its completion in 1869, when the Atlantic and Pacific were brought into close connection with each other. The present depot of the Missouri Pacific was, at the time the railroad was completed to this point, an old boarding house, and was soon after turned into a depot, and has remained the only depot at this point to the present time. But a new depot is now being erected which, in a short time, will take the place of the old one. This new building is much larger and more commodious, being of frame 85x24 feet, and much higher than the old one. The depot ever since it was established in 1865, has been under the management of Mr. M. L. Gray. At this depot, including the night and day operator, seven hands are employed to manage the business. Extensive freighting and shipping keep. them employed at all hours of the day.
In 1870, the Holden branch road, as it is called, was completed to this point. The township of Madison, including its private subscription, gave . $72,000 to have this road built here. This road runs southwest from Holden, passing through Harrisonville, Cass county, and thence to Paola, Kansas, its final termination being Junction City, Kansas. This road has been a great benefit to the town of Holden, adding largely to its business
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and giving encouragement to its citizens. This branch road, now known as the Kansas and Arizona division, makes connection both morning and evening with the Missouri Pacific trains. The morning passenger bring- ing communication from St. Louis and all points east, arriving at Holden at 6 o'clock, A. M. The passengers on it for the Arizona division, stop and take their breakfast, while the main train passes on, arriving at Kan- sas City at 9 o'clock, and thence takes passengers to all parts of the great west, since at Kansas City trains pass out to all points of the compass. The train on the Kansas and Arizona division leaves here at 6:15 A. M., and passing southwest it makes connection with the Lexington and South- ern division at Harrisonville, and from this point passengers can go any- where in southern Kansas, the Indian territory or Texas.
Again at 6 o'clock P. M., a passenger train on the Missouri Pacific, arrives at Holden bound for the west, and after waiting twenty minutes for supper, passes on to Kansas City, reaching that destination at 8:05 p. M.
At 9 o'clock A. M., the first eastern bound train arrives at Holden, and at 6:30 P. M., this train is in St. Louis.
Then again at 8:50 P. M., the second train for the east comes in to Hol- den. This train makes connection with the eastern bound train of the Arizana division which arrives a few minutes before it. . From this it can readily be seen that Holden is getting to be a railroad center. Several efforts are being set on foot to bring other railroads to this place, and it is the ambition of the people to make Holden a railroad center second to none between Kansas City and St. Louis.
Freight trains are run, coming in at almost all hours of the day, and there is so much shipping and switching, that six tracks have been built for that purpose, three on each side of the depot. When in addition to all this Holden has the engine house and turning table. The engine house was built here in 1867. It is located about a hundred yards northwest of the depot. The engine house is about 30x60 feet, and has several small additions to it for offices and other purposes. Every night three or four engines are kept in this engine house. Between the engine house and the depot is the turn table. This is made of very large and stout timbers. and so well balanced that a few men can turn the engine or any car that is put upon it. Also between the turning table and the depot are kept large quantities of coal from which the various engines are loaded as they start from this place.
Bridge and Building Department .- In connection with the railroad department of this city, we have the bridge and building department, being a branch of that department in St. Louis. This under the manage- ment of James Stannard, assistant superintendent of the department at St. Louis. J. W. Scott is at the head of the painting department, and J. M. Finney is foreman of the yard at this place. The warehouse of this
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
department was erected in January, 1881. It is a neat, commodious frame building, 25x30 feet. They build and keep up bridges, tanks, turn tables, and all other wood work needed in over four hundred miles of road, besides doing the painting for the same. One hundred men are con- stantly at work for this department. They have under their control the Kansas & Arizona division, Lexington & Southern division, the Neosho division, and the Ottawa branch of the Missouri Pacific. Their jurisdic- tion extends west 215 miles, and south to Carthage. Immense piles of lumber are seen at all times on either side of the warehouse, extending many paces in either direction.
Holden Elevator and Mill .- This elevator and mill is situated about one hundred yards east of the Pacific depot. It is a large, brick building 35x70 feet, and is four stories high. This mill was erected in 1876 by J. H. Smith and W. H. Stark, but soon after the erection W. H. Stark sold out to J. C. Conner, and since then it has been under the management of Conner & Smith. The mill and elevator is run by a large 80-horse power engine. Their mill contains five run of burs and two set of rolls. They have a large corn-sheller run by a separate engine. The sturdy farmers from all parts of the neighboring country come flocking into this. mill to sell their grain, and they generally find a ready market. They manufacture daily over a hundred and ten barrels of flour, and this besides selling to the surrounding farmers they ship to St. Louis. They ship over 300 car loads of wheat a year from their elevator, and between 300 and 400 car loads of corn, besides making up into meal a large portion of the corn they buy. This elevator is in a very convenient place for ship- ping, being situated just north of the Missouri Pacific railroad, and hav- ing a switch passing by the elevator so that the cars can be loaded from the door. This also connects immediately with the branch road running into Kansas, so that the mill is in direct communication with a large part of southern Kansas. The proprietors have been doing a very successfu business, and at present are busily engaged in making many important mprovements. They are putting in a new engine, and enlarging the capacity of the mill and elevator both. They have now the largest busi- ness of any similar firm in the city, or even in this part of the county. These gentlemen have been engaged in the business for many years, and thoroughly understand their work, and will no doubt in a few years do as large a business as any other mill in the county.
Bluhm & Boxmeyer's Elevator .- These gentlemen are carrying on a very prosperous trade in the grain business. They have a large grain elevator situated a few steps east of the Pacific depot, on the south side of the railroad. Their building has the lower part made of brick and the upper of wood. It is 100x36 feet and is 3 stories high. These gen- tlemen commenced business in 1874, in this building, though previously
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they had been engaged in the same kind of work elsewhere. Their ele- vator is kept constantly at work during the season for grain delivery. They have a 16-horse power engine to run the elevator. The cars pass by the building so that the grain may be loaded from the door of the granary. They ship very extensively to St. Louis and sometimes to New York. Their trade has hitherto been very profitable and argues for a better success in the future.
Holden City Mill .- This mill was erected in 1868, by J. H. Reed and A. L. Daniels, the present proprietors. It is situated in the eastern part of Holden, about three-eighths of a mile from the depot, on second street. It is a large, frame mill, on the edge of a branch, which dammed up, sup- plies it with water. The mill is three stories high and has three run of four-foot burs. The mill is run by a fifty-horse power engine. They are extensively patronized by the farmers of the surrounding country. They bring in from all sides their wheat and corn, and exchange for flour and meal. This mill turns out daily, about 200 bushels of flour, besides grinding, generally, a large quantity of corn. These gentlemen are doing a very good business, and both as millers and artizans have won the respect of the community in which they live. Their gentlemanly deportment toward all strangers who call upon them on any business is in the highest degree commendable. In the future they cannot fail in whatever they undertake.
Hotels .- Only two hotels deserving the appellation have been estab- lished in Holden since its beginning.
The Herman house was built in June, 1865, and has been conducted from that time to the present by Mrs. John Doran. The building has been enlarged since its first establishment as a hotel, and as it now stands, contains thirty-two bed rooms, has one hundred and twenty feet front, and is three stories high. It is made entirely of frame, but is a very substan- tial one. It is situated opposite to the depot and affords meals to passen- gers, at twenty-five cents per meal. It has an extensive patronage and is full nearly all the time. This house is well conducted by its proprietress, Mistress John Doran, and has always been prosperous.
The Bell House is much the largest and best hotel in Holden. It was built in 1868 by Richard Bell, of this city. It is a very large, three story brick building, running back 132 feet, with a fifty foot front, and has twenty-four sleeping rooms. Mr. Bell first leased the hotel to Mr. Judy, for three years, and when Mr. Judy's time expired it passed into the hands of Stephens & Bro., and after being conducted a short time by these gen- tlemen, Mr. Bell took it and ran it one year himself. Then Johnson & Hall kept it a few years, when it was put under the management of Geo. W. Rose. It then passed from him to Mr. R. P. Hall, and thence to Mr. E. B. Barrett. Mr. Barrett took the proprietorship in July, 1880, and on
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the first of August, 1881, he gave up the hotel to J. J. Fitzgerald, the present popular proprietor. Mr. Fitzgerald supplies from his hotel, meals for four trains each day. On the Arizona division the six o'clock morning train and the eight twenty-five evening train take their meals here; and in the evening, the six o'clock train on the main road stops here daily for supper. First-class meals are supplied here for customers, at fifty cents a meal. This hotel is very largely patronized by the travelling public, and under the management of its present accommodating proprietor will, no doubt, continue to increase in the public estimation, and be an honor and pride to the city of Holden. This hotel is abundantly supplied with water, having two cisterns and three wells. Water is conducted by pipes to the kitchen and wash rooms, and it is the intention of the proprietor to have pipes supplying all the rooms in the house. All the bed rooms are supplied with fire escapes, according to the provisions of the law. The whole yard is paved with brick, and is arranged so as to draw all the water off. In connection with the hotel is a complete laundry establish- ment, under the supervision of the same proprietor. In the building is a large reading and writing room, containing journals from all the leading cities in the union. Mr. Fitzgerald is improving the building and in a short time will refurnish it and make it in every respect as attractive as the public could desire. Mr. Fitzgerald seems to be well qualified in every particular for the important position he now fills.
Postoffice .- For several years before the town of Holden was laid out, there was a postoffice northeast of its present site, a few hundred yards on the line of the stage route running from Jefferson City to Independence. This postoffice was kept by Mr. Isaac Jacobs, and when Holden was laid out and Mr. Jacobs' store put up, the postoffice was moved there. This little store was located on the corner of Second and Olive streets, and the postoffice was placed in it in the year 1859. Mr. Jacobs had a small sup- ply of general merchandise and attended to this in connection with the postoffice, till the commencement of the war. During the war all busi- ness was suspended and little or no mail came to this place, but this store continued to be the postoffice, in connection with his store, but in the fall of the following year Mr. Jacob Peer moved it to his store. This was a small store of general merchandise, located where Carter's blacksmith shop now stands, In the spring of 1866 William Coventry started a general dry goods store in this place, at the place now occupied by Clark & Craig's grocery store, and had the postoffice moved into his store, tak- ing charge of it as postmaster and running it till sometime in 1868. Mr. Coventry then let Mr. T. J. Tygart, take charge of it. Mr. Tygart moved it to where McClellan's stables now stand, and did in connection with the postoffice a real estate business. In 1869 at the commencement of the administration of President Grant, the postoffice was placed in the
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hands of J. W. Mack, the present postmaster. Mr. Mack has had the entire charge of the postoffice ever since. It has been located during this time in Murray & Day's drug store. Mr. Mack has proved a thoroughly efficient and popular postmaster. and since the postoffice has been in his hands, the mail business has very rapidly increased. For sometime Mr. Mack has been compelled to have an assistant. This office has recently been raised to the third class of postoffices, and the postmaster is appointed by the president and employed at a fixed salary. The present salary of the postmaster is $1,500 a year. Mail from all points come to this office. From the east on the Missouri Pacific, mail arrives here at 6:15 A. M., and 6:15 P. M., while from the west on the same road, mail arrives at 9 o'clock in the morning and at 9 o'clock in the evening. Then on the Kansas & Arizona division, mail comes in at 8:35 P. M. In addition to the daily mail that arrives from almost every point of the compass, mail arrives twice a week from Pittsville, twice a week from Garden City, and three times a week from Clinton. For this reason a large quantity of mail is handled at this place, which is not distributed here, but is sent out by the stages running to these points.
Since Mr. Mack has had charge of this department he has sold 13,638 money orders, and this line of business is increasing at a very rapid rate. Every three months Mr. Mack sells $600 worth of postage stamps, and about 8,000 postal cards. Nearly 600 letters pass through the office daily and over 800 newspapers come to this office every week. There are registered at this office every year upwards of 4,000 letters. In the last year Mr. Mack has paid out of the office on money orders $26,724! Noth- ing can more clearly show the present business status of the town and the advance it has made in the last few years than the postoffice report. When the office was started and for many years following, it had to be run in connection with a store, and afforded little or no pay to the postmaster. Now it affords a handsome income and bids fair in a few years to be raised to an office of the second class. The people of Holden may con- sider themselves fortunate in having the services of so efficient a post- master, so long and may continue to rely upon its successful management as long as it remains in the same hands.
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