Adair County, Missouri - Chapter 17: Kirksville, 1911 (part 1 of 2)

Chapter 17: Kirksville

Early Settlers. - Before Kirksville was laid out the vicinity was known to some as Long Point, and to others as Hopkinsville. The first white settlement in the county was made in 1828, and was known as "The Cabins." This settlement was six miles west of what m Kirksville. It is not known just when settlers began to occupy the land in and around the present Kirksville. By 1841, when the town was laid out, there were a few settlers living in this vicinity, anions whom were Jesse Kirk and David E. Sloan. Mr. Sloan had settled first in Walnut Township, but moved his family to what is now Kirkville in 18-10 and built a log cabin on the site of the warehouse of L. P. Cochran A: Company, more generally known as the Kennedy wanhouse, just west of the northwest corner of the square. The tradition in his family is to the effect that his house was the first one ever built within the limits of the original Kirksville. He died very shortly after building this cabin, but his widow, Mary East Sloan, lived on thirty years or more, and was one of the familiar characters in the early history of the town and county. Mr. Kirk lived near the present Willard School house, and for a long time kept a tavern there.

Besides the Kirk and Sloan families, there were during the forties representatives of the Stewart, Floyd, Holloway, Parcells, Callison, James, Sheeks, Ivie, Hunsaker, Dodson, Mulanix, Goode, Murphy and Galyen families in Kirksville. There were doubtless other families represented during that time, but just who they were has not been ascertained.

Growth in Population. - Kirksville grew in population very slowly at first. In fact, the rate of increase in population was greater for the county as a whole from 1850 to 1880 inclusive, than for the town. Since 1880 the town has grown more rapidly than the county.

In Chapter II of this book some account was given of the growth of the population of the county. Since that chapter was put into print the Census Commissioner for the census of 1910 has made public his report on the situation in the Missouri counties and towns. Inasmuch as the detailed information concerning Adair County was not available when the above mentioned chapter was printed, it may be in order to bring it in at this point.

Adair County had a population in 1910 of 22,700 as compared with 21,728 in 1900. The population of the various townships at these two dates was as follows:

In order that it may be clearly seen that the increase of ]x>pulatiun lias been in the towns and the loss in the rural districts, the following facts are submitted:

The foregoing tables, taken from the official statistics just issued by the Census Bureau at Washington, show that during the past ten years Adair County gained in population 972.

The City of Kirksville and the other towns of the county show increased population; hence the rural portion of the county shows a decided decrease.

Kirksville's gain was 381. Brashear gained 57, and Gibbs gained 58. Novinger and Connelsville have made a marked growth, hut a* neither town was incorporated at the time of the 1900 census, no comparison can be made.

Benton township, including Kirksville, gained 200. As Kirksville alone gained 381, the township outside of Kirksville therefore lost 121 of its inhabitants.

Nineveh township, including Connelsville and Novinger, gained 2,4-1 1 . This gain, however, was wholly within the limits of the two tonus: hence, the township outside of these towns shows a. loss.

The marked increase in the size of the town since 1880 is largely to the educational institutions located there, the First District Normal School and the American School of Osteopathy. It is perhaps not too much to say that Kirksville would not likely be any larger than the county scat towns in the counties immediately to the north, cum and west of her if it were not for these schools. They have been

Municipal Organization. - The history of the municipal govcmni'iit of Kirksville may l>e divided into six periods: first, from the time -!><- town was laid out in 1S41 to the time of its incorporation in 1857; -mud, from 1857 to the suspension of the municipal government during the war; third, from the reorganization of the town government ixiti to the granting of a special charter in 1873; fourth, from 1873 f" 1\S(». when the town surrendered its charter and became a city of fourth class: fifth, from 188(5 to 1892, when the citv was raised to of the third class; and sixth, from 1892 to the present. Some att'-nipt will be made to describe the changes in the governmental or- of the town as they have occurred from one period to another, a" suggested in the above outline.

The same law which established the county in 1841, provided for tlirit- commissioners to locate the county seat. They were Jefferson Collin-; of Lewis County, L. B. Mitchell of (Mark County, and Thomas Farrell of Monroe County. They were instructed to locate the county Nat within two and a half miles of the geographical center of the county. *»nie time during 1841 they accomplished the work they were authorized to do. They entered for the county the northwest quarter of *Ttion 9, township 02, range 15, which comprised 100 acres. The 'ounty very shortly thereafter disposed of the west half of this quarter ^tion to \V. P. Under, retaining the east half for the county seat.

According to a story told in the North Missouri Register for Decenil*r 4, 1873, it was largely through the influence of David E. Sloan and a few others that the commissioners selected this particular quarter tion for the county seat site.

When the county seat came to be surveyed off an error was made by the surveyors in determining the exact boundaries of the land thai had been entered for the county. It had been decided to lay off for the time, the north forty only of the eighty acres which the county owned. The surveyors put the northeast corner of this forty acres several feet too far to the northeast, so that when they had completed their work and had made a plat of the original town it was one block too far to thr north and one half block too far to the east. In other words, the town was made to extend over into section four on the north and into the northeast quarter of section nine. The town was subsequently corrected by taking off these extensions, and by adding what the county owned on the west and south in the forty acres that had been set aside for the original town. Later the county had the other forty acres surveyed and platted, and added them to the original town.

The original town of forty acres as the surveyors laid it out, was bounded on the north by what is now Missouri Street, on the east by High. Street, on the south by McPherson Street, and on the west by Main Street. When the corrections were made the northern boundary was Illinois Street, the eastern was an alley between Marion and High Streets, and the western the alley west of Main Street. There are therefore no blocks 5, 6, 15 and 16 in the original town of Kirksville because of this error. The public square is block 9.

The town was named after Jesse Kirk, who was living outside the limits of the town when it was laid out. According to the story, as tradition has preserved it, his wife was cooking a turkey dinner the day the surveyors completed their work, and he offered to invite them to partake of that dinner and indulge in his supply of good whiskey, provided they would name the town in his honor. The offer was accepted and the name of Kirksville was given to the newly laid out town.

The original plat was acknowledged on May 18, 1842, though it does not seem to have been filed until June 21, 1847. This document is now in possession of Mr. H. F. Millan of Kirksville. It was used as one of the papers in a suit of Linder vs. Adair County, and as the ease was tried in Sullivan County on change of venue, it was taken to Milan and for years was left there. Later it was brought from Milan to Kirks-

Up to 1857 the town of Kirksville was unincorporated, and hence was subject to the township officers of Benton township. No records have survived from that time, so that it is impossible to give anything concerning either the township officers of the transactions of the township organization.

By the time the town was incorporated several additions had been made to the original town. These were the county's first addition in 1S42, which consisted of a tier of blocks west of Main Street ; the South addition in 1852, which consisted of six blocks and four half blocks <outh of the original town and the county's first addition; the Linder's first addition in 1854, which consisted of four blocks and four half blocks cast of the original town ; and Linder and Mulanix addition in 1856 of five blocks and eight half blocks south of Linder's first addition.

In 1857 a petition was sent to the Legislature asking that the town tie incorporated and a charter granted. This was granted on January :*0. 1857, when the Legislature passed a special act giving a charter to the town. This act was only one of a number of similar acts passed during the fifties and sixties incorporating numerous towns in the state.

According to this act of 1857 the town government of Kirksville was carried on by an elective town council and various appointive officers. The council was what was commonly called the Board of Trustees. It was composed of seven trustees elected annually on a general ticket. The first seven trustees were named by the Legislature in the act of 1857. They were M. P. Hannah, John Thomas, William Lough, <>. H. Beeman, Jesse C. Thatcher, John D. Foster, and E. W. Parcels. Thereafter the entire board was re-elected every first Monday in April. Within ten days after the election of each board, the members met and elected one of their own number as chairman; they also elected a clerk. The chairman corresponded to the mayor, but he had no power over the board save that of a presiding officer. The board elected various other town officers, such as assessor, constable, recorder and treasurer. The town justice was elected by the county court, acting upon the recommendation of the trustees.

No records have come down from the town government as organized under the charter of 1857. It seems, however, that during the war the town government became suspended and remained so until IH66. In that year the State Legislature passed an act giving all the towns and villages in the state the power to reorganize under their former charters, which may have been ignored or set aside. Kirksville took advantage of this opportunity. An order was therefore made l.y the county court ordering the election of- a new board of trustees for th> town, inasmuch as all the trustees at the time the town government had suspended had left town. This special election too place on May 10, 1866. The trustees elected were J. W. Lee, S. W. Williams. Samuel Reed, W. (). H. P. Ammerman, J. G. Jamison, John L. Rowlinson. and O. H. Beeman. By June the town government was going agaiii The extant records of the town begin with the work done by this Board of Trustees; that does not mean, however, that all the extant recordare continuous from that time to this, for some of them are missing in the seventies. Judging from the character of the ordinances pa>sw in 1866, one would suppose that the town was being organized for the first time, as they deal with everything from the procuring of a town seal to the levy of taxes.

Barring a few minor differences, the town government was tin same from 1866 to 1873, as it had been from 1857 to its suspension during the war.

In 1S73 a new charter was granted the town by the Legislature and with this we pass to a consideration of the fourth period of tin town's governmental history. This charter provided in the first plaer. that an election should be held in April, 1873, and every April th<r»- after, for the purpose of electing a mayor and four councilmen. The town was divided into two wards ami two councilment were elect annually from each ward. The council elected a President pro tempon who presided in the absence of the mayor. The chief powers of tincouncil were to regulate the time and place of holding its meetings, to judge of the qualifications of its members, to determine contested citations, to appoint and remove all appointive officers, fix their salarieand determine their duties, and to arrange the finances of the town. The appointive officers were clerk, treasurer, attorney, marshal, assessor and street commissioner.

Two of the mayor's duties were to see that the town ordinance were enforced and to issue statements of the financial condition of the town. He had original and exclusive jurisdiction in all cases arisinc under the town ordinances, and concurrent jurisdiction with the justices of the peace, subject, of course, to an appeal to the Circuit Court of A.dair County. As presiding officer of the council he had no vot< except in case of a tie.

The next change made in the government of Kirksville was in 1 SS*"». when it gave up the charter of 1873 and became a city of the fourth class. On March 0, 1886, an ordinance was passed by the town coun- cil providing for submitting to the voters a proposition for Kirksville becoming a city of the fourth class under the general law of 1877, which provided for the reorganization of cities of the first, second, third and fourth classes. On March 30, 18S(), a special election was held to vote on this proposition, and it was carried by a big majority, 245 to 96. On the following day Mayor Hoik* declared the town to l>e the city of Kirksville.

The chief officers under the new government were the board of aldermen, the mayor, and the marshal, all of whom were elective. The "toard of aldermen was composed of two men elected from one of the two wards of the city. The law of 1877 provided that at the first election for aldermen the one receiving the highest number of votes in each ward should hold his office for two years, and the one receiving the next highest should hold his office for one year; after the first election each *:ird was to elect annually one alderman who should hold his office for two years. The board of aldermen held two regular meetings each i:<Hi)th. The presiding officer was the mayor, but the board elected one --I their own number as president, whose only duty seems to have been to <ism all bills passed by the board. The board was primarily a legislative body, passing ordinances for the government of the city. It ai<o levied taxes, granted licenses, and fixed the salaries of all officials and employees.

The chief executive of the citv was the mavor, who served two v»ars. He presided at the meetings of the board of aldermen, but had no vote except in case of a tie. However, all bills passed by the board had to l>e signed by the mayor before they t>ecame laws. The mayor ^o saw to the enforcement of the city ordinances and made appointwrits, with the consent of the aldermen, to the various city offices. He was also a judicial officer and tried all cases in which the city ordinances were involved. From his decisions appeals might be taken to thf circuit court.

< >ne other officer was specially provided for at this time, the marshal. Ho was elected at the same time as the mayor and served two years. The marshal served as chief of police and assisted in enforcing the city ordinances. He was also required to attend the meetings of the board unless on orher duty or excused by the board or the mayor.

On June 0, 1892, an ordinance was passed to submit to the voters ;lt a special election a proposition to organize and become a city of the third class under the provisions of the general law. The election was hold on July 5, 1892, and the proposition was carried by a vote of 20* to 107; not half of the voters voted, however. The city did not Ixcin work under the new charter until April, 1893. It has remained uml.-r that charter ever since.

Under the new organization the government has remained a> before, with three notable exceptions. The first is the division of the city into four wards instead of two, the election of two councihiun from each ward, thereby increasing the number of councilmen from four to eight, and the changing of the name of the council from that of board of aldermen to city council. The second is the increase in tinnumber of elective officers. In addition to the mayor and marshal, who had been elective under the preceding government, the city attorney, collector, treasurer, assessor, recorder, and the police judge were made elective also. Each of these officers serve for two years. Many other officers are either appointed by the mayor with the consent of the council, or are elected by the council. The third is the trance of the judicial functions of the mayor to the police judge.

Bonded Indebtedness - As fur as is known the city had no bonded indebtedness prior to 1894. Since then the city has voted bonds for waterworks to the amount of $60,000 in all; for a sewer system, $40,- 000; for paying old city warrants, SI 9,000. In addition, the city council issued at one time $9,000 for current revenue purposes and $6,000 at another to pay off judgments which had been rendered against the city. In all the city has had bonds amounting to $134,000 issued against her. Of this amount $60,000 has been paid, and $74,000 remains yet unpaid.

(1) After $5,000 of these bonds had been paid off, the city refunded in 1900 the remaining $15,000 of 4% for twenty years, but managed to pay the entire amount off in 1906.

Dramshop Ordinances. - Just what dramshop regulations the town of Kirks vi lie had prior to 1866 is unknown, as all records prior to that time have been lost. The first dramshop ordinance on the extant records is dated July 3, 1866. It provided that every dramshop, Ixvr saloon, billiard hall and the like, should be licensed. The license for a dramshop was $25 for six months, and for a beer saloon $10. In November, 1866 the licenses were raised to $50 and 820. At no time since has the amount been so low as then.

days. To put a check upon this evil an active temperance campaign was carried on in Kirksville in January, 1867. The campaign enlist*! the interested and support of a great many prominent citizens. Anions: the results was the agreement made by a group of over forty prominen: men of the town not to take a drink for a year; many of them wore addicted to pretty heavy drinking. How faithfully they lived up tothi* pledge cannot he said. The campaign does not seem to have effer!»>.| any immediate change in the town ordinances regarding the liquor traffic.

The first anti-dramshop legislation in Kirksville, as far as is know was passed in September, 1873, when an ordinance prohibiting the w of intoxicating liquors and of beer in less than one gallon lots, was pastil. It may be that this legislation was the result of a series of toinporainv meetings held in Kirksville in February, March and April of that year. Complaints were made, however, within three months after this ordinance was passed, that it was being grossly violated, and the attitude nf the people was seen in the spring election of 1874. There \ver<- twn tickets in the field; one in favor of no licensed saloons, and the otli-r in favor of them. The latter ticket won by a close vote, and lieen-^i saloons were again restored.

In April, 1871), the proposition to license saloons was submitted ' - the people of Kirksville. The vote stood 284 against licensing and 140 for. As far as can be made out this is the first time the matter had ev»-r l>een referred to the people of the town.

It is not known how long the town was without licensed saloon* after 1870, as the records are lacking for a few years right at this tin;- but it is known that in March, 1884, the town council granted a saloon license to George Mevin. for which he paid $1,000 for six months, besides putting up a bond for SI, 000 not to sell to minors or habitual drunkards, or on Sundays. The license that was granted was sai l however, to be only the renewal of one that had been running for two years, and that the fee was raised at this time from $600 to §1,000.

The city election campaign of 1884 was a rather exciting one. Therwere two tickets in the field, a no-license ticket and a citizen*' tiekd which was understood to be a license ticket. The no-license tick*: won the mayorship and a majority of the councilinen by a small inarsin Thos. Sees was elected mayor in opposition to P. M. Smith.

noted temperance speakers would address the assembled crowds. Among these speakers were Geo. Bain, Sam Jones, Sobieski, and St. John. The camp did not pay out financially, but it proved very influential. A few days after it closed a Prohibition Club was formed. The members declared they were not in favor of a third party, but that they would nut vote for any man who did not favor temperance. All this agitation resulted in the people voting on August 22, 1887, to abolish the saloons for four years. The vote stood 340 against the saloons and 199 for.

Before the four years expired, however, licensed saloons were again in <>j>eration in Kirksville. Six and Dr. Kramer applied for a saloon license in 1889, and on being refused by the town council appealed to the circuit court, whereupon Judge Ellison decided in December, 1889, the ordinance prohibiting saloons in the city was invalid.

By 1890 licensed saloons were in full blast again in the town. Two »! the three saloons were called "supreme court" saloons, because they paid no city or county license.

An effort was made to have the question submitted to the people -i«ain, and the council actually ordered that a special election for that purpose be held on July 8, 1890, but from some cause or other the coun- withdrew the order on the day before the election. The situation must have been bad at that time, a~s complaint was made in the papers that original package houses were flourishing in the town.

The licensed saloon question was submitted a third time on August 1SIM, with the result that 35(> votes were cast against licensing saloons arxl A\2 for it. An ordinance covering the matter conformable to these returns was passed on January 0, 1895.

At the close of the four years' period the same question was submitted a fourth time with the result that a majority vote was cast in ie or of the licensed saloon. The vote was .594 for it and 421 against. The council therefore passed an ordinance on September 8, 1898, legating dramshops. The return to the licensed saloon in 1898 was largely due to the fact that all the attempts at suppressing club houses were violating the anti-dramshop law, had been futile. A Law Hid Order League was formed in 189 ) to suppress them, but it does not -"-in to have been successful.

The hast time the licensed saloon question was submitted was in December. 1907. when the drys won against the wets by a vote of <>!."> t«> 48o. The city has been without licensed saloons since that time. t,lit it is commonly known that liquor is sold in several places in the !,Avn. and several parties have been found guilty in the courts for violations of the liquor laws. u

One of the most active agencies in sentiment making for the perance cause has been the Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Kirksville Union was organized on November 23, 1882, with tin following charter members: Mesdames E. Bcazell, S. H. Smith, A Dutcher, A. E. Lantz, Hankin, Brenneman, Blackman, Hooper. Bentley, Chambliss, Boyd, Wheat, and Mitchell. The Union has hail 3 continuous existence from that time to this, though there have Ih-h times when interest was greater than ordinarily.

1873. This association arranged for a hall by building a third story on the Watson building, which stood just south of the Odd Fellowbuilding. The members of the (Jood Templars in 1873 were S. F. Miller, Miss Rowland, Henry Harris, Miss Carrie Gill, W. T. Sholly. Win. Edwards, A. H. Kearnes. Miss Blackman, J. M. Greenwood, \Y. I. Stoddard, H. Spencer, Miss Gibson, Miss Brasfield and Miss Link The Grand Lodge of Missouri held its sessions in Kirksville in July.

It seems that the Kirksville Chapter was reorganized on Maroh 31, 1884, and then after another relapse it was again reorganized. th> time on July 11, 1891. The meetings were held in the K. P. Hall every Thursday evening, and the membership in 1892 was said to have seventy-five. It is no longer in existence, having been suspended several years ago.

In the more recent local option campaigns organizations were effected not only to carry on the campaigns, but also to see to the enforcement of the law. But invariably the organizations have lapse. I and violations of the liquor laws have been indifferently prosecuted

Pi hlk" Utilities.- The city affords in the way of public utiliti" an electric light plant, a telephone system, a water works system, .mil a sewerage system. Only the water works and the sewerage system* belong to the city. The others are owned by private companies.

Prior to 1894 the town hail no water works. For fire protection dependence had to be put upon some wells which had been dug at tli< four comers of the square, from which the water would be pumped 1 y a hand engine pump in time of need. The very destructive fires from which the town suffered brought the people to a fuller realization of the necessity of providing for a water system which would afford more ample protection than the wells at the corner of the square. In March, 1890, the greater part of the south side of the square burned down. The necessity of a water system was made clearer than ever before. A special election was therefore held on June 20, 1890, to vote on the proposition to issue $40,000 in bonds with which to build a water system. But the vote was only 333 for to 219 against, and since a two-thirds majority was not cast for it, it was lost.

It was over three years before the matter was brought up again More the people by way of a special election. On January lb\ 1894, a proposition to issue §20,000 in bonds to build a water works system was carried bv a vote of 069 to 42.

During 1893 an artesian well company was organized and an artesian well bored near the present electric light plant. About $3,200 was subscribed to the stock of this company. The contract for boring the well was let to L. G. Blackball of St. Louis in April. Water was struck at a depth of 425 feet, but that was not sufficient for a water system. When a depth of 1397 feet was reached a test was made, and it was discovered that 3,000 gallons could be pumped every hour out of the well without lowering the level. Thereupon the well was declared finished. The cost amounted to $2,700. Now that it was thought a sufficient supply of water had been secured, the proposition to vote bonds to build the water works was again submitted in January, 1894, with the result as above noted.

The bonds were sold to a Chicago firm for $20,005 in February, and by early April contracts were let by the council for four and a half miles of water mains and fifty Ludlow hydrants. Later in the month contracts for the plant complete had been let. The system included a reservoir and a pumping station. The water was raised from the well into the reservoir and then forced through the mains by the pump. In October a test was made and it was found a stream could be thrown ninety feet high. The city accepted the system some time in Deceml>er, 1894.

The system proved to be inadequate. The supply of water was not sufficient and many complained that the water was not good either to drink or for steam purposes. Moreover, there w as a growing demand for a more extensive service. Some were beginning to advocate using the Chariton as the source of supply. But as that would entail heavy expense in laying a long main from the river to town, it was feared that it could not he done. The first plan of extension was to have more wells and thus increase the supply of water, and a proposition to issue $15,000 in honds to do that was submitted on May 3, 1898, but it was lost by a vote of 373 for and 282 against. A two-thirds majority was necessary to carry it.

The demand became more insistent that mains be laid from the Chariton to a settling basin near town from which the water would We brought into the reservoir. It was also proposed that about three ami a half miles of new mains should be laid in the city. A special election was called on July 16, 1898, to vote on a proposition to issue $40,000 to do the above mentioned things, and it was carried by a vote of 048 for and only 147 against. In the course of a year the improvements were made.

The main which brings the water from the Chariton to the settling basin is of seven-inch Calamine steel pipe, and is 27,000 feet long. The main from the settling basin to the reservoir is of the same kind of material and size, and is 9,000 feet long. Throughout the city there are over eight miles of mains in service. For fire protection there have been installed sixty-four hydrants. Seven hundred and ninety permits have been issued to patrons for tapping the mains.

The system has again become inadequate and expensive. In January, 1907, it was found necessary to install a motor pump at the settling basin in order to force the water to flow down hill into the reservoir. The proposition to repair the old plant or rebuild it completely has been considerably discussed in the last year. It is only a matter of a short time when something will have to be done towards making it up to date anil sufficient for the demands of the time. Instead of beitig an expense to the city it should be made a source of income and undoubtedly will be when it is put on a proper basis.

The Kirksville Electric Light, Heating, Power and Water Company was organized September 6, 1888, with a capital stock of $10,000. The officers of the Hoard of Directors were John Caskey, President: W. T. Build, Treasurer; C. E. Ross, Secretary. This company contracted in November, 18S8 for the Ball system of lighting and also let the contract for erecting its building. The council evidently made some sort of a contract with this company for street lights.

In September, 1889, the Thompson-Huston Electric Company arranged to put in an incandescent plant. Meanwhile, the original company ordered machinery to put in the incandescent system of lighting too. These two companies existed side by side until January. 1891. when the incandescent company sold out to the older company. The

In April, 1892, the plant was sold to H.C. McCahan, Fred Darrow, .1. M. Kennedy and John Bragg for $15,000. It finally became the property of McCahan and Kennedy. They sold it in turn to the company that now owns it. in April, 1908. The stockholders in (he company at that time were H. M. Still, Warren Hamilton, ('has. V. Miller. John ('. Mills, S. R. McKeehan, Ed. B. Reed, A. H. Garges. and Clarence Baxter.

The city has been able at different times to make contracts with the electric light company for street lights. From 1S88 to 1894, ami from 181)8 to 1908. such contracts were maintained. The voting out of the licensed saloons in 1894 ami in 1907 resulted in the discontinuance of public street lights. The state of the city's finances was such x- to make it impossible to do otherwise. If the state laws did not hamper the cities in their tax levies and assessment rates, it would not follow that when the saloon licenses were cut off the street lights would have to U- shut off too.

The Kirksville Gas, Heat and FJcctric Company was incorporated in February. 1905, with a capital stock of $50,000. The franchise was granted to the company by a special election held on Octolier 10, 1905, 1 y a vote of 301 to 321. The franchise permits it to generate electricity ami maintain a public heating plant, but it has confined itself to the work of manufacturing gas for heat and illumination. The plant is located just southwest of the Wabash depot. The present officers are H. F. Henry. President; C. S. Sands. Secretary: W. P. Foster, Treasurer: P. I). Schoonmaker. Superintendent. Extensive improvements are now going on. so that the capacity of the plant will be more than -loiihled as soon as they are completed.

The first telephone line installed in town was a private line from Mr. W. T. Baird's bank to his residence. It was put up in July. 1881. and was indeed a very curious affair. There was no bell attachment for calling anyone to the phone. Instead, there was a little wooden mallet which was used to strike the transmitter. This would make a >onnil upon the phone at the other end of the line and thus the call was made. Mr. Baird still has the mallet which he used.

Within a year other similar private phones were put in by Dr. < iief Dr. Grove, Henry & Hooper. X. A. Baylor, A. Duteher. and the Graphic office. It seems as though each line connected only two points, ami no intercommunication was possible between the phones of different lines.

About 1890 a local telephone company was formed in Kirksville. by Kennedy, English and Haley. Several changes were made in th. membership of the company, but Mr. J. M. Kennedy remained in it until the system was sold to the Missouri and Kansas Telephone Company in 1905. Meanwhile, the Kirksville company had installed several other exchanges in the county. All of them were l>ought up by the Missouri and Kansas Company. Since this company assumed control of the Kirksville exchange it has installed a new system throughout. making it entirely modern and more effective.

Alxmt 1890, or perhaps a little before that, the city lx>gan to put in sewer lines for drainage purposes primarily. The out let - were in the ravines at the edge of town. The ex|x>nse of putitng these lines in was lx>rnc by the city. An effort was made to make tinproperty owners pay for one line that was put in, but they refused to do so, and the company that put it in sued the city for the cost of tinline and got judgment.

The primary purpose of these lines that were laid WSJ to carry or! surface water, but after the city water system was inaugurated in lvi}. the people iM-gan to connect their toilets to these lines. The result was than in a short time complaints began to be made by people living in the vicinity of the outlets that they were l>eing injured and damaged by the use that was being made of the sewer lines. Several damage suits were instituted, the most important being tin- Kellogg suit. After several trials judgment was rendered against the city for $3.t50. and this was confirmed by the higher courts.

The intolerable conditions which had been brought about and i1 necessity for a sewer system that would be sanitary ami adequate led to considerable agitation in favor of a bond issue to install one. A proposition to issue bonds to the amount of SMO.OOO for a sewer system w:i« submitted on January 23, 1900, and was carried by a vote of 439 to 111

It was decided to install a septic tank system and the contract was let in due time. A good deal of trouble arose lx*twecn the contractorand the city treasurer. X. E. Winn, over the payment of the warrantissued by thi* city, but matters were finally adjusted. Later the- city was made a defendant in a suit brought by a company complaining that their patent had been infringed upon in the building of the *eptic tanks. The city succeeded in making Lewis A: Kitchen, the contractors, codefendants, and that has practically relieved the city of ain further responsibility. The case is still pending (1911) in the I'. S. courts.

Street Paving.- -The first paving of the streets in Kirksville was done, as far as is known, in 188"). In the fall of that year macadamised paving was put down on the south and west sides of the square at a cost of $2,200. It does not appear that any other paving was done anywhere in the town until 1891, when the county court agreed to pay for one-half of the paving on the north and east sides of the square. Tljereufxm these two sides were paved across the entire width of the street. In 1892 Franklin street from the (). K. de|M»t to McPherson street, and Klson for al>out the same distance, were macadamized. The cost of the Franklin street paving was said to have been $8,000. High street was macadamized from the Christian Church to the Normal School in 1895. Other streets were paved in a like manner, among which were Normal and Osteopathy avenues.

The macadamized paving proved unsatisfactory very shortly. It was soon worn into ruts which made the streets thus paved almost unusable. After much agitation ami serious effort, paving was begun again after a lull of about ten years. The first of the streets to be paved during this second period of paving was Jefferson street. This work was done in 1906. The style of paving was the bitulithic. Owing to the change in grade, many damage suits have arisen out of this paving. The other streets that have been paved since 1900 have been paved with hrick They are High, from Normal to Washington; Mulanix. from Normal to Hickory; Franklin, from the (). K. dc|>ot to the southern end of the street; Klson, from Washington street to .Jefferson street; Harrison street from Klson west to the cemetery; Normal avenue, from Mulanix to Franklin; Osteopathy avenue from Jefferson south to the end of that street.

Post Office. - Just when a post office was established at Kirksville is not definitely known. The town was laid out in 1841, but it is evident that it was at least late in 1842 before a |x>st office was estalvlished in the town. The evidence is in the election returns made by the Circuit and County Clerk, David James, in August, 1842. to the Secretary of State. In those returns he asked that all communications to the Adair County Court from the Secretary of State, be sent to the nearest po*t office, Bloomington. Macon County. Just how long t his arrangement lasted is not known.

The first postmaster was Jesse Kirk, who also kept a tavern near the present Willard school. The postmasters from the first to the present, with the years when they began to serve, are given as follows:

1874 1). S. Hooper, l'ntil 1905 the post office was kept in rented buildings and was frequently moved from place to place. In 1873 it was on the south side of the square, two doors west of Baird's bank; in 1870 it was moved to a brick building at the rear of the Baird bank; in 18S9 it wu moved to the north side, and in 1898 it was moved to a room just ca-t of the northeast corner of the square. There it remained until the present government building was erected on the corner of Franklin and McPherson in 1905. Some time in 1902 or 1903 Congress appropriated $35,000 for a post office building in Kirksville. The appropriation was largely due to the efforts of Congressman James T. Lloyd. Representative of the district of which Adair County forms a part. At the same time appropriations were made for similar buildings in her towns in the state, among which were Columbia, Hannibal and olxrly. A big scandal arose over the methods alleged to have been lployed by the government agents who determined the sites of these rious buildings, and the matter was taken into the courts, without, -wever, any final convictions.

The rank of a post office depends upon the amount of business insaeted by it during the fiscal year. It would be of interest to tow just what the business was from year to year since the office -gan, hut that is not possible. However, we are able to compare the pines* of 1875 and of more recent years. In 1875 the receipts from r sale of postage were $3,576.07; in 1905 they were $18,850.08; 1010. $22,881.95.

The increase in the amount of business has been marked nee 1895. In that year the office was raised to second rank. The urease in business has been largely due to the Normal School and ie American School of Osteopathy, which have been drawing larger \<\ larger number of students to town from year to year.

Prior to the building of railroads into Kirksville, all mail came by ta?e. Daily mail was something unknown in those days. The sched- 1( of arrival and departure of mail stage coaches which appeared in the iirksville Journal for July 2, 1868, gives some idea of the mail facilities. V schedule was as follows:

It may be well to note that two days after the appearance of this *sue of the Journal which contained the above schedule, the North Missouri Railroad (now the Wabash) was completed to Kirksville, and «>!>' mail from the south was then established. It may also be noted hat in all probability the mail facilities were much better when the above *hedule was in force then in the earlier days.

From the days when railroads reached Kirksville, the post office here has been the center from which man}' star route lines radiated. In 1870, according to the North Missouri Register for March 9 of that year, there were thirteen postoffices in the county which were off the railroads. They were Floyd's Creek, Wilmathville, Prairie Bend, Wilson, Zig, Lindervillc, Nineveh, Shibley's Point, Sloan's Point. Ida. Ringo's Point, Sand Creek, and Adair. Most of these offices received mail either weekly or semi-weekly each way. This means that once or twice a week many mail coaches would leave Kirksville and pass through these country post offices and then through others in adjoining counties until they reached their destination in some distant county, and then return to Kirksville. In this way most of the country post offices in thr county got mail once or twice a week each way.

The star mail routes have been largely done away with in the \n< few years in the more settled portions of the county, and rural free deliveries have taken their places. In September, 1902, five rural fret delivery routes were inaugurated running out of Kirksville. Since then two others have been established. As a result of this several country post offices have been discontinued, among which are Clay, Sperry. ami Bullion.

There are three rural free deliveries out of Novinger, four out <»f Brashear, two out of Stahl, two out of Yarrow, and one each out of Gibbs and Youngstown.

Free delivery was inaugurated in Kirksville on July 10, 1898. under C. A. Hamilton. There were then three carriers. The number walater raised to four. There are employed in the Kirksville post offio five clerks besides the Postmaster, Assistant Postmaster, and four fre»- city carriers.

Cemeteries. - The first cemetery in the town was started in 1S42. near where the Friedman-Shelby shoe factory now stands. That tract of land belonged then to David E. Sloan. He died in 1842 and was buried on his own place according to his request. Subsequently other* in his familv were buried there and some outside of the faniilv aU" though it was never intended to make out of the place a public burial ground. There are a few of the grave slabs lying on the ground yet. hut many of the bodies have been removed and buried elsewhere.

The first cemetery which became a public burial ground is the outwest of the northwest corner of the square. Tradition accounts for itlocation there bv wav of a storv to the effect that a traveler died whil< eluded the present cemetery. On August 31, 1840, Jesse Kirk, the man after whom Kirksville was named, was buried near where the above mentioned traveler had been laid. From that time on this tract became a cemetery and has been used continuously ever since.

Several additions have been made to this cemetery. In 1878 Judge A. Slingerland laid off a portion of what was known as the Llewellyn (irove as an addition to the cemetery on the north. In 1800 Judge Jacob Sands laid off another addition.

Nature has done much to make this cemetery a beautiful spot. The long ridges, the deep valleys and the forest trees give it a pleasing picturesqueness. It has been kept in order for many years by the Ladies' Cemetery Association, to whom the town of Kirksville owes a great debt for their untiring and unselfish devotion. In addition to the kecpinc up of the cemetery itself, this association has secured the paving of the street leading to it from the square and has assumed heavy financial "'-ligations for the paving that was done within the cemetery itself.

In 1805 the Highland Park Cemetery Association was incorporated a eapital of $40,000. It was composed of C. R. Tinsman, E. C. Batman, John C. Baird, and Chas. Grassle. This association bought it'ii y acres at the end of Normal avenue from R. M. Brashear, and pro- - <^led to open this tract up for burial purposes. Mr. Brashear began uhiiHst immediately a suit to recover the land on the ground that it had Wn acquired ostensibly for other purposes. He did not win the suit. Many persons have been buried there, but up to the present the former inetfrv has been more generally used.

RrsixEss Funis - The honor of being the first storekeeper in Kirksville tolongs, it is said by some, to John T. Smith, and by others, ^ Buck Townsend. Smith's store stood opposite the present Pool H'ttel, and Townsend's store was near the present Wabash depot. A ^tn by the name of Payton opened up the third store. Just when 'ii'^f places were opened up is not known.

In May, 1840, J. C. Thatcher & Brother of Macon, started a store in Kirksville, but they returned to Macon in the following December, in 1850 Mr. Thatcher resumed business in Kirksville, and a few vears later built a building on the northeast comer, which was burned in 1*73. In 1846 Ben Murphy kept a saloon in a place west of the present Willard Hotel building.

During the war period L. M. Heed o|x»ncd up a store in Kirka- did also W. B. Harlan. In 1865 K. M. RingO and A. L. \V«MMi> carried on business in the Thatcher building, which stood on the south>.f corner of the square. In 1864 Jos. Hauni & Brother started :i St on

In 1866 the Kirksville merchants and professional men were arranged around the square as follows, commencing at the sou t heart ivrner and going north: Brewington Bros, occupied the lower stun the hinder building, which stood on the southeast corner of tinwhere Myers Bros.' shoe store now is; in the second story wcr< county offices and tlx' Kirksville Journal office, and the third rtory w» the Missouri Lodge hall. Williams A Dennis, laud agent-, and a buyer named Ghormley, occupied a building cast of the binder I mild i On the southern end of the east side of the square was a butcher ll with a tailor shop above. Next door to the north was the banking of Stebbtna and Porter, of which Mr. YY. T. Baird was the caslmr North of the bank was the store of Pickler <fc Son, dealers in Kr«"> and dry goods. Beyond them was Boone & Carroll's one story fran then a landmark of the old town. In the frame building originally limll by R. M. Ringo, (but owned in 1 S«>t» by T. C. Parcclls.) Knight & Pam-Uoccupicd the first floor; the probate office and the offices of H. F. M lan and of Harrington & Cover were on the second. The next buiMiru to the north was occupied by John Coop's grocery, and then came Jif Baum's dry goods store.

On the north side was the old Cnion Hotel, concerning which il was said that the new addition on the west contrasted strangely witl the old house. On the first floor of the addition w&s the hardware >tup M. B. Light, and the dry goods store of A. P. Willard; on the secnn<! Hoor were the offices of Pierce & (Iriggs, and of W. L. ( iriggs, attorn, at law. The other firms on this side were McKay iv. Stewart, and P"llock Bros.' lumber yard and cabinet house.

A circular letter of the Adair County Immigrant Aid Society sent out iti July, 1807, gives the following summary of the town: "1 bank, 9 dry goods stores. 4 drug stores, 3 grocery stores, 2 tin and hardware stores, 2 meat markets, i) physicians, 14 lawyers, 4 preachers. 2 churches with 1 congregations, 1 seminary, 1 town hall, 3 real estate agencies, 1 brewery. 3 boot and shoe shops, 3 saddle and harness shops. 1 marble yard. 3 millinery and dressmaking shops, 1 steam plow factory. 1 jewelry and watch-making store, 2 livery stables. 4 hotels, a number of private boarding houses, 2 insurance offices, 1 barber shop, 1 picture gallery, 2 (mint shops, 5 plasterers, 15 carpenters, 4 blacksmiths, 5 brick and stone masons, 2 cabinet and furnitute stores, 2 merchant tailors, 1 gunsmith sbop. 1 dentist, 2 brick yards, 1 Masonic lodge, 1 Odd Fellow lodge, 1 (IimxI Templar lodge, 1 Legion of Honor, and 1 newspaper and job u'fice." It was further said that during the past building season twelve business and thirty-five residence buildings were erected.

In March, 1870, the North Missouri Register published the following summary of Kirksville business firms: 11 dry goods stores (4 of which keep clothing), 2 exclusive clothing stores. 13 grocery stores, 3 Uiot and shoe stores, 4 boot and shoe manufactories, 2 furniture stores.

3 lumlier yards, 2 harness and saddlery establishments, 3 wagon shops. -) meat markets, 1 book store. 1 cigar factory, 2 livery stables. 7 black- -mith shops, 1 tailor shop, 6 dressmaking shops. 1 flour ami feed store. 2 marble shops, 1 toy store, 2 restaurants, 2 saloons, 1 wholesale liquor More, 1 barber shops, 1 confectionery store, ."> hotels. 1 hide and wool More. 2 real estate agencies, 3 grain warehouses, 2 hay presses. 2 tinware manufactories. There were enumerated 1 1 lawyers. '.) physicians, 3 dentists, and many carpenters, plasterers, painters, etc., "to fill the bill and make the list complete."

In the Democrat for January 7, 188(i. a complete list of the Kirksville merchants and their location around the square is given. It may be a matter of historical interest to reproduce that list here. It is ;is follows:

Grocers: Will. Gibbons, southeast comer; Cross & Moore, ex-' side; Willard & Evans, east side: L. A. Willard, east side; Montgoiu>r & Bielhy, east side; Halladay Bros., north side; Pollock & Thumps north side; Murphy Bros., north side; D. C. Pierce, west side: Jno T. Hannah, west side; Roht. Lorenz, southwest of square: J. B. ( Vk> southwest of square; J. H. Markey, southwest of square: H. P. Ellisouth of square; Jas. A. Hope, south side.

Coal. Wood and Feed: Jno. L. Porter (Ice), corner of Missouri and Ellis streets; Swigeri A Fussehnan. north of s<iuare; J. N. DodVon. south of Bquare; H. P. Ellis, south of square.

Of the firms named in the foregoing list only three persons are still in business in the same line at the present time. They are G. K. Brewington. Mrs. Leach, and B. F. Ilgenfritz.

A census has been made of the business firms on or near the square i:> 1911, and some effort has been made to find out how long they have bt'on running and who their predecessors were in case they followed other firms. These facts have not been ascertained for all the firms, but what has been gathered is here given. The list begins at southeast «<>rner of square and passes around the square, first going north:

C. A. Robinson Mercantile Company: dry goods and clothing; original firm, Robinson, Steer & Jackson who began in 1889; incorporated under present name in 1907.

Normal Book Store: original store was begun at present location Kv B. F. Heiny in 1878; many subsequent changes in proprietors; present owners, Harvat & Morris.

Star Livery: Overfelt & Davis; successors in 1910 to J. H. Overfelt. Adair Lumber Co.: successor in 1904 to J. E. Waddill. Borneman & Rose: tailors; successor in 1910 to Bell & Rose. C. H. Becker: harness.

No other hotels are known of prior to the war except the Garrett Hotel, which was built by Robt. A. Garrett. It was later called the North Missouri Hotel. It was burned to the ground on December 12. 1893.

In 1886 there were the following hotels of different sorts: Pool Hotel, west of the square, J. S. Pool, proprietor; Parcells House, west j'Hle, H. A. Jackson, proprietor; Ivie Hotel, east side, Mrs. Julia Ivie, proprietress; Hecker House, east side, Chas. Hecker, proprietor; Deering House: Vandiver House, opposite depot, J. \V. Vandiver, proprietor.

The town now has four hotels for the traveling public; they are the Pool, the Dockery, the Central and the Quinlan. Of these the oldest is the Pool. It appears that it was originally the American House, and was changed to the Pool by J. S. Pool when he leased it in 1S74. The building has been frequently added to and remodeled. Among the different proprietors have been Isaac Brenneman and E. B. Keith. Bret Stephenson is the present proprietor.

The Dockery was originally the Leslie. It was considerably enlarged in 1904, and has been under the management of Bret Stephenson for the last two years.

The Willard Hotel was built in 1876. It was first known as the Parcells House, and forborne years after it was first built, it was the leading hotel in town. S. H. Williams was in charge until 1882. In August, 1910, Mr. and Mrs Jacob H. Sholly closed the Willard. They had been in the hotel business in town for forty years. As far as is known , they have led all hotel people in the town in the length of service in that business.

The Shryack-Thom Grocery Company was organized in Februar. 1905, and was at first simply a copartnership. In March, 1907. it vx> incorporated with £20.000 capital slock. R. K. Thorn became Pl*» dent and M. C. Shryack, Secretary and Treasurer. In June. 1910. (\ ('. (livens purchased the stock of Mr. Thom, and the company wa> reorganized with a capital of ^40,000. C. C. Givens became President and M. C. Shryack remained Secretary and Treasurer.

The firm moved into its new three story brick building on North Main street late in the fall of 1910. The patronage of this compan, comes from the merchants of Adair and surrounding counties. Thr»* salesmen are constantly on the road, and a force of ten men and woiimh is required to run the store.

Besides the business firms in and near the square there are at Inri a dozen or more stores on the outskirts of the town, some of which ar> of considerable size. The bookstores and grocery stores in the neighborhood of the American School of Osteopathy are of considerable importance.

Storms. - The county has been visited by several severe stunu- The most fearful was the cyclone which destroyed a part of Kirksvillr and killed nearly forty people on April 27, 1899. Some account will \»- given of the various storms as far as anything is known of them.

The first tornado of which any record has been found occurred OB April 30, I860. The greatest damage was done in Polk and Clay townships, where many fences and buildings were levelled. As far a.- '» known no lives were lost.

On June 7, 1872, a wind storm struck Kirksville and badly daning"'. the roof of what is now known as Baldwin Hall of the Normal Scbo i at that time this building was in an unfinished condition, and the stono considerably delayed the work of completing it.

The most severe storm prior to the great cyclone of April 27. 1>W was the one which occurred on May 30, 1879. The following detail"! account of this storm as it appeared in one of the local papers, is Imr given in full:

"The cyclone originated on the Chariton, ten miles southwest near Dr. John's, just east of Noah Farr's. It began on Ixmg Branrh and moved in a northeast erly course, twisting off timber ami leveling the fences. About one mile from where it started it struck the \Yido« Salisbury's barn, and crushed it into splinters. It crossed the Chanton, and pounced upon John and Ed. Link's house and wrecked it very badly, twisting off trees near by, eighteen inches in diameter. Goinf half a mile farther on to Cow Creek it swept down on Mose Hankin's house and totally demolished it, sending his household furniture over the tops of trees, and scattering his bacon to the four winds of heaven. Near by it leveled to the ground Bob Hankin's dwelling and left not one stone on top of another. The next house destroyed was Mr. Wallace s, who lives opposite Mrs. Samuels, on Big Creek. From this point it went careering through the timber, tearing up big trees by the roots and breaking others off and scalping the high points, when it spied Rol>ert Mercer's dwelling built on the north side of a steep hill. It took off the upper part of the house very unceremoniously, Ixmnded across and up a ravine, and struck John M. Davis' dwelling, demolishing it completely.

"Across the brakes it went, through Capt. Slingerland's pasture, and on to J. E. Watson's house with all the fury of the mad, irresistible, terrorizing wind demon that it was. Mr. Watson and wife antl four children and sister. Miss Mary Myers, had gone upstairs to bed, but were not yet asleep. They heard a terrible crash, and Mr. Watson thought the house had been struck by lightning; then it seemed as if they were being carried upward; then came a crashing and falling of titulars, one of which struck Mr. Watson on the head and rendered him senseless; when he revived found himself on the ground weighted down with the broken timbers and unable to move. His wife was near him, and apparently unhurt. The children were found scattered around promiscuously, and the little boy badly bruised, as was also Miss Myers. Watson called for help, but was unable to make the neighbors, who lived some distance, hear, and Mrs. Watson had to go and summon assistance. It was about an hour before help sufficient arrive to extricate Mr. Watson from what came near being a terrible death. The house was a two-story frame and strongly built, and yet in ten seconds it was completely crushed and torn into shreds almost and scattered for several hundred yards around. The floors were torn up and nails pulled out of the sheeting. The roof was entirely demolished, and the shingles and sheeting strewn thickly to the northeast for nearly half a mile. The flue was broken into sections of about two feet in length; tin sheeting was torn off and rolled into a scroll: the bay window was thrown to the east and other parts to the west. The floor over the large cellar under the main part of the building was entirely removed, leaving the whole cellar exposed. It is impossible to depict the destruction; it was one mass of debris with not a post standing. Every piece of furniture in the house was broken with the exception of one small table; beds, clot hing and carpets were badly damaged. It was a ruinous wreck, wrought in an instant ami made complete.

"What is true of Mr. Watson's house is also true of the othermentioned, and the most wonderful part is the escape of all the ocrupants without loss of life or serious injury of Iwdy or liinh.

"Mr. Mercer's house was built on the north side of a hill, and in order to strike it the wind had to swoop down over the hrow, which it did in good order. The roof was scattered in all directions, and several trees near by crushed down or twisted off. The roof frotn the com < r was blown away. The bridge across the little creek in front of the DOW was carried oft; fence posts were broken off or pulled up for the dfetttfl of 100 yards. Four bee stands were carried away, and were not afterward found. A heavy trunk of books was carried from the second floor of the house and set down in the yard without injury; an iron wedge was picked up from the floor ami carried out at the window. An idea of the force exerted may be gained from the fact that a piece of 2x4 scantling, about 18 inches long, with square ends, was driven perpendicularly in the ground to a depth of 15 inches. The extreme top> of the limbs of a tree about fifty feet from the house were broken <-?. as though some one had done it with his hands; and the remainder of the tree was not hurt.

"Two hundred yards across the ravine were the ruins of Mr. Davis' house, a total demolition. The only warning they had was the bursting open of the south door, followed quickly by the crush that leveled everything. Mr. Davis was caught under the falling timbers and severely bruised on the head, left shoulder, left side and lower limb. One l>oy was considerably bruised, but was able to extricate himself. Hi* daughter, thirteen years old, was blown about 150 yards, across into an adjoining field, hut was not .seriously hurt. She was so bewildered that it took her some time to find her way back, and she said she ha«: been dreaming of hunting birds' nests, and wanted to know whose hou* that was and why they built such structures. The other four children were scattered about promiscuously, but unhurt. Not a piece of furniture was left whole, ami considerable clothing was lost.

"The track of the cyclone was not more than 100 yards wide till it reached Mr. Watson's house, after which it seemed to spread out to double that width. A large rock weighing 1,500 or 1,000 pound* in Wash Conner's yard, who lives near the Chariton, was moved BOOM distance, and a large sycamore tree was taken up by the roots.

"It passed through the northwest part of Kirksville, entirely demolishing J. B. Watson's large new two-story dwelling. Mrs. Baggdwelling and Mr. Prince's dwelling, each one story buildings.

''It gave Dave Buird's resilience a close call, lifted the roof of 8. 8. McLaughlin's barn, proceeded on its way and struck the earth again at Rol»crt Burris', two miles northeast of Kirksville, raising the roof of bis barn and whirling his wagon through the air a distance of 100 yards, also blowing down twenty-five or thirty apple trees, twisting them off like tender reeds.

"The next building in its track was Peter Moore's barn, which it threw down, and from there it went to Harve Ginnings' and unroofed his barn, and cut down about half of his large apple trees. It also moved W. H. Griffith's barn, a short distance this side of Salt River, about six feet, and scattered the fences in the vicinity of Salt River in all directions. It became very much wider about the time it reached Clay Township. A great many fruit trees were blown down, which was the greatest damage in that section. The orchard just adjoining Floyd's Creek, on the hill, was badly torn up."

On June o, 1880, a tornado visited the northern and northeastern parts of the county, doing great damage. It destroyed fences and orchards. William Horton lost his dwelling, barn and smoke-house. He and his wife were somewhat injured. William Crow's new residence was lifted into the air. While in the air the floor dropped out and fell hack to the ground, but the walls and roof were carrietl off and never heard of afterward. The family came down with the floor uninjured. Trinity Methodist Church of Clay township was completely demolished.

On Friday, April 1, 1892, an all afternoon hurricane damaged a great many buildings in Kirksville and blew down many fences and haystacks throughout the county. About seventy squares of the tin roofing on the Normal School building were blown off. A numl>er of barns and outbuildings were wrecked. Many winds and rains continued at intervals until Sunday night, when the storm developed into a small cyclone accompanied by a torrent of rain. The cyclone struck the southern part of town and tore through the square and then out through the eastern part of town. Many residences in the neighliorhood of the Wabash depot were twisted on their foundations. The two-story brick building on the northeast corner of the square was considerably damaged. Two newly enclosed houses in the east part of town were carried off their foundations.

All of these storms pale into insignificance when compared with the awful cyclone of April 27, 1809. The following account is taken from the Democrat of May 5, 1899:

"A terrible cyclone visited the city at 6:15 p. in. on Thursday, April 27. It had its rise in the southwest and traveled to the northeast. It was a regular old funnel-shaped monster. It dipped down t<> the earth about a mile southwest of the Normal School building ud continued its northeasterly course until it reached Jefferson street, when it veered slightly to the north. It then worked back and forth between Washington and McPherson streets, and passed out of town over Jude<- Ellison's place on Baltimore street and over the Kellogg place a tittle farther east. Its pathway was through the eastern portion of the city and was fully six hundred feet wide.

"It is difficult for any pen to picture the desolation wrought. Within five minutes one thousand people were homeless, while the dead and injured were scattered in all directions.

"It was a characteristic twirler, and came upon the town without warning. A Deinocrut reporter noticed the cyclone as it was first gathering force. It was south of town and high in the air. The funnti dropped down toward the earth as it neared the southern limits of the city, finally touching the earth with a leap and commencing its work of destruction.

"Cal. Little's house on the hill right south of town was the first to meet the violence of the storm. The place was blown to atoms, and thf family left bruised and bleeding from numerous injuries.

"The violence of the wind seemed to increase as it progressed OH* ward, and the path of destruction Ix-cume wider and wider. Just ex.-" of the Normal School campus forty houses were blown to the ground. Then came an (men space for several blocks, when the wind playful uprooted great trees and hurled them high in the air. The storm aj>- proached the more thickly settled residence portion with a bound. Th* startled people heard the awful roaring, grinding, tearing sounds, an<l to them it appeared a* if all the powers of destruction were at work. Many of the victims did not even have time to run into their cellars.

"Citizens outside the path of the storm watched its onwanl rush with agonized hearts. Many ran towards the devastated districtwhile the cyclone was venting its fury, in order to commence immediately the work of rescuing the dead and injured.

"The storm was deliberate in its work, and all eye-witnesses aer,v that it was apparently at a stand-still two or three times. The terrific work of destruction, however, continued on all sides. The cyclone moved to the west once and men who were running to the work of r» - cue stopped and called to their companions to seek places of safely. Their fears, however, were soon allayed, as the storm passed to th> northeast. Spectators of the storm were awe-stricken by the awful gradneur of the scene. At one time a house was seen sailing high in the air. The house wais intact and it went up fully a thousand feet lure it disappeared hy being exploded into numl>erlcss fragments. Houses collapsed into kindling wood as if by magic. Those who passed through the ordeal say that it seemed as if their houses were torn asunder by some powerful suction force.

right in the debris and many ghastly sights were unearthed. To add to the horror of the hour and the discomfort of the injured anil dying, a frightful wind and rain-storm came up within twenty minutes after 'In- cyclone passed. This, of course, greatly retarded the work of relief, hut it was continued.''

Those who were killed outright, or as the result of injuries, were: Thro, nrigham, Mrs. Henry Billington and daughter. Mrs. A. R. Howman. Baby Billington, Miss Lillie Cunningham, Seth Feather (aged four years), A. J. C'daze, Mrs. A. J. (Haze. Mrs. \Y. W. Green, Miss iWie Green, Dr. \V. B. Howells, John (!. Kirk. Florence Lowe, Nettie howp, BalM> Lowe, J, B. Larkins, Miss Georgia Lainge. Mr. and Mrs. C'al. Little. Miss Lewis. Mrs. John Mahaffy. Mrs. Anna Miller aged

Some of the things that happened during the storm were indeed most peculiar as well as sad and distressing. An account of a few of them, as taken from the Democrat and the Journal, will reveal still further the awfulness of the disaster.

Mrs. Blue Panchott and her baby were killed outright. She was found with her head severed completely from her body and with her dead baby clasped in her arms. The awful agony of the young husband on discovering the situation was something that beggared description.

Mr. and Mrs. (Haze, a well-to-do elderly couple, lived in a beautiful cottage on the corner of Harrison and Baltimore streets. They saw the storm coming, and clasping each other in their arms, they wen* crushed under the wreckage of their home. Two thousand dollars were found sewed in the clothing of Mrs. Glaze.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lowe were on their way home north of town when the storm came up. They tried to reach the house before it broke upon them but failed. They had the awful experience of seeing their own home destroyed as they neared it and then of finding their three children dead in the debris.

Theodore Brigham was carried hundreds of feet away from hi> home and smashed face downwards into the ground. His wife wabadly injured, and his son, Vernon, was badly bruised.

P. J. Rieger was on his way home when he saw the storm coming, and just got in in time to take his family to the cellar. His house was completely demolished.

John C. Weaver's house was reduced to kindling wood, and he himself was killed outright. He was too old and feeble to be taken to a place of refuge, and so the family gathered about his chair and waited for t he end. His sons, Joseph and Samuel, and his daughter Ella wen badly hurt, as were also Mrs. Joseph Weaver and child.

Mrs. Ann Miller, aged ninety-eight, was killed outright. She was at the time in good health and would likely have passed the century mark had not this catastrophe happened.

Mrs. Lew Chase and daughter were alone during the stonn and had barely enough of their house left to shelter them. All of the housenear them were completely demolished.

Edward Rice was severely injured in trying to save his wife and two children. His wife was sick in bed. When he saw what the cyclone was doing he put his two children in bed with his wife, and covered them OVCT with carpets, and then spread himself over them like a hen brooding over her chickens. The house was torn from its foundations and broken all to pieces. A section of it smashed in upon him. but he sup- ported it and thus protected his family until help came. The Rice family picture was picked up on a farm just outside of Pulaski. Iowa, sixty miles distant from Kirksville.

J. E. Rieger's law diploma was found in Clay township. A photograph of Sam Brighton and pieces of wall paper, weather-boarding and >hiiiKles were found two miles northeast of Hatavia, Iowa, eighty-five miles from here.

J. T. Coonfieid'a house was carried across a ditch and jammed into the side of a hill. The family were in the house at the time, but all escaped with nothing more than a shaking-up.

J. E. Ricgcr and his sister Sarah ran from the house and laid down in a ditch, hut they were soon covered over with timl>ers. Mi<* Rieiri-; was considerably hurt.

John Anderson ran with his young baby to a small bridge on K:k .lelTerson street and came out unhurt. His wife was not able to rean. it in time and was badly hurt al>out the back.

Win. Park rushed out of his house with his baby in his artn> ami clasped a tree beside the road. The force of the storm thrashed him over the ground pretty severely; the baby was thrust under a pile lumber. Mrs. Park and Mrs. Rryan were hurled around the hou-e an<: thrown into a tree top that lay in the road.

J as. \Y. Sharp and H. T. Billington were in the house opposite tbf house of Mr. and Mrs. (Jlaze. They were thrown under the Moor ei their house after it had been demolished.

M. G. Deacon was on his way home when the storm overt ook bin east of F. M. Harrington's residence on East Normal avenue. rb tried to run out of its way. but instead, ran right into the center of it He threw himself across the sidewalk and grasped a fence post, and waaide to keep his hold only with the greatest difficulty.

Otis Miller, Jr., and wife were severely hurt as their house was Mown to pieces. Mrs. Volney Johnson, a sister of Mrs. Miller, was badh hurt in the foot. The Miller and Johnson houses were among the fir-' to be struck.

Judge Andrew Ellison and his family saved themselves and their guests by running to their cellar. They got down into it just a* thfil house was blown to pieces. J. F. Waddill and family has a similar experience. Their cellar was filled with wreckage, and it was a WOodrt some one of them was not hurt.

At the house of Mr. Fusselman twenty persons are said to hav crowded into his cellar. Mr. Fusselman was on the steps. He will: the steps was thrown out into the street unharmed. Mr. French. an«" putting his people in the cellar, rushed out to aid his son and children but was caught in the storm and considerably bruised in the face by tin flying debris. One lady was blown into the air and dropped into a mudhole without any injury save bruises. She was conscious all the while, anil related afterwards how she felt on seeing the tree tops below her.

One mother was separated from her baby and was unable to find it until the next morning. It was found alive and well and in the care of a friend, much to the relief of the frantic mother.

Mrs. Rose Webster and her son George were in the southeast room of their house antl were unaware of their peril until the storm broke upon thoin. Their house was demolished and they were blown from Harri- >on street to the northeast corner of the Catholic church, a distance of 300 feet.

Mayor Noonan called a public meeting for two o'clock Friday afternoon. At this meeting executive, finance and relief committees were appointed. The executive committee was composed of Mayor Noonan, Geo. Spencer, John Caskey, W. K. Englchart, W. R. Holloway, C. E. Ross, C. S. Brother, Frank Storm, P. J. Rieger, and Geo. Mc- Guire. The finance committee was composed of Dr. A. T. Still. V.l'pilyke. B. F. Heiny, R. M. R'mgo, S. M. Link. Thomas Dockery, Judge Ellison, and R. M. Brashear. The relief committee was composed of Major Rombauer. S. S. Evans, B. H. Lowcnstcin, and Victor Parrish.

The finance committee put subscription lists into circulation and -«ton l>cgan to gather in the money. The relief committee established its headquarters in the parlor of the International Bank, and the executive committee in the parlors of the Savings Bank.

Contributions came in liberally from the people in the town and county and from all parts of the state and from many places outside the -tate. In all something over $24, (MK) was raised. The relief committee issued a circular letter which was sent in reply to contributors from a distance. It read as follows: "Please accept the grateful thanks of all good people of Kirksville for your kind words and helping hand in our time of trouble. Many are dead, more are dying. The homeless and helpless are everywhere. Any contributions will be gratefully accepted and faithfully applied to the relief of the distressed. Many have lost their all and the need is great. May the Lord bless the generous, big hearted people who are responding to the cry of the homeless."

A Ladies' Relief Committee was organized Monday, with Mrs. Mayor Noonan as President, Mrs. Dr. Dobson a< Vice-President, and Mrs. C. E. Still as Secretary, and with one lady from each ward. They - lid excellent service in alleviating distress.

Trained nurses from Quincy, St. Louis, Ottumwa, and other placw were brought in to help take care of the wounded. Twenty-five ph> - ciane from nearby towns are said to have come in in response to thecal! for extra medical help.

O Imi

The relief committee made a complete report showing just what was received and what was done with the money. The report was pubii>ht-d in the Democrat for May 26, 1899.

I'nion Memorial services were held Sunday evening after the cyclone at the Christian and Methodist churches. They were impressive. An immense crowd of citizens attended each of the services. The unices at the Christian church were conducted by Revs. Chapman, Simmons and Ely; those at the Methodist church by Revs. Pierce, Bradley ami Darby. The pastors of the various churches worked faithfully in caring for the dead and dying.

Thousands of sight-seers visited Kirksville from every direction during the next few days after the storm. The railroads ran excursion trains to Kirksville, one coming from St. Louis.

The local G. A. R. post was at the time making preparations to entertain the State Department encampment early in May, and in spite "i the distress that had suddenly come upon the city, went right on with it* plans and succeeded in carrying them on time and without any *rious modifications.

The memories of the awful experiences of the survivors of the cyclone >m-e to this day to frighten many of them on the appearance of the least wind. Cyclone caves were constructed in many parts of the town immediately after the storm, and some of them are still in existence. The twenty-seventh day of April never passes in Kirksville hut what the memories of that day in 1899 are recalled by all, and by some with en at sorrow.

On Sunday, May 28, 1899, a wind storm came up suddenly at six '/rloek and did a great deal of damage to property, but injured no people stock. During the panic and scare that accompanied the storm, P*>ple plunged into cellars, some of which held water from two to three tat deep. It was anywhere to escape the fury of another cyclone.

Besides wind storms and cyclones, there have been several other weather disturbances that have been noteworthy events, some account i which follows.

The Chariton River has frequently overflowed and has done great lamage to farms along its banks. On July 1, 1875, a heavy downpour *nan and continued for over twenty-four hours. On the following

As a result the Chariton was soon out of its hanks. According i the old settlers the river was fully eight feet higher than it hail ever b since white men began to come to this county. In 1833 John Cab father rf Geo. W. Cain, cut a notch to mark the level reached by tk river during the freshet of that spring. The level reached by the flood of July, 1875, was eight feet and eight inches higher than the othn The river was fully two miles wide.

Quite a numl>er of houses along the bottom were swept away. All those living at Sloan's Point were compelled to leave their together with nearly all their household goods, in order to save tin selves. The family of Win. Pan nahaker, whose house stood on the highest ground at the point, were compelled to take to the roof, from whenothey were taken in skiffs. The water ran to the eaves of Ed. OttoV house, and into the second story of Pannabaker <V* Tinsman's mill. Several families retreated to the schoolhouse, where they were compelld to stay two days without any provisions. On Sunday morning a relni party from Kirksville reached them. All train service was suspen d for four days.

In July, 187t>, the Hood was repeated, hut not on so large a Kl Reports were that the water was not so high by three feet as the yea: before.

Every few years the Chariton overflows and causes much damap and inconvenience, hut no mention has been found of anything as di.~ astrous as the Hood of 1875. The flood of July 1909 was said by t'. old settlers to have been the biggest since 1875. The Chariton bottom? were flooded ami fifty families had to move from their homes. man was drowned.

One of the record-breaking snow storms occurred in early IVIir - ary, 1895. The thermometer registered in the neighborhood of Is degrees below zero, and the snow drifted so as to block up the fttltcb and the railroads. The < >. K. railroad was particularly hard hit. Ol passenger train was snow bound between Kirksville and Knox I for three days and three nights. It was related that one of the pas.~iigers was to have been married in Brashear the day after the train i: ' stuck and was inconsolable until a conveyance came out a day after th wedding was to have taken place and took him on to Brashear.

The winters of 1880-89, 1889-90, and 1890-91 were extremely mii-1 The first snow for these three years that afforded sleighing fell on Mar

Mention has been found of three great sleet storms in the county. The first occurred some time during the winter of 1848-49. The ice was said to have been three inches thick on the level, and hundreds of -Itrr were caught. Owing, however, to their starved condition many of them were worthless.

On January 2. 1897, a heavy rain storm set in, and as the rain fell it froze. By the following morning ice had been formed almost an inch thick everywhere, and under this heavy weight limbs of trees, tel-

On January 13, 1911, the storm of 1897 repeated itself, and according to those who saw them both, the latter was more destructive. The was formed over an inch thick on wires and trees, and the telephone, M'-graph and light companies were greatly damaged. The streets *W impassable all over town.

Mention has l>een found of at least three great drouths. The fir-r was in 1854-55. No rain fell between May, 1854 and the following May All during that Winter only one snow fell. In 1894 the prolonged dry season cut off the corn crop so that nothing was raised except in thtbottom lands and what was raised there was scanty. The most seven drouth was, however, in 1901. For weeks during July the therni<m>- ter registered in the nineties or above and all vegetation withered. T extreme dryness prevented, however, any great amount of sickness.

Contributions khom Kirksville to Sufferers Elskwiikhk Kirksville has not only been the beneficiary of generous sympathiu-rs in neighboring cities in times of distress, but she has done her shan along with other parts of the county in extending help and sympatLy to those communities far and near that have been visited by great calamities.

To the sufferers from the Chicago fire of 1871 the Cuml>erla:.<l Presbyterian Church and Sunday School sent 930.35. Perhaps »\l<; donations were sent by other organizations, but this is the only nn< of which any mention has been found.

Early in 1875 appeals came from drouth stricken Kansas and Nebraska for help. In response to these appeals $55 was sent to Kansas by the Adair County Grange and S28 by two of the chim - in addition $41 was sent to Nebraska.

In May, 1875 the grasshopper plague fell upon the western part of Missouri, and the farmers hud all their young crops completely destroyed So distressing were the conditions that the Governor of the state i.-» i a proclamation asking the people of the state to assemble at their placrof worship and join in prayer to God to remove the plague. At tbf meeting held in Kirksville at the M. E. Church on June 3, $50 wenraised and sent to Governor Hardin who later fowarded it to the sufferers in Pates County. The plague did not reach Adair County or any nearby county.

In 1878 yellow fever raged through the South and claimed its thousands of victims. Kirksville raised $278.13 and sent it to the refit committee working in the plague-stricken districts.

The great drouth in Kansas and Nebraska in 1894 produced a: immense amount of suffering. In response to appeals sent for help, t mass meeting was held at the M. E. Church in Kirksville late in January, 1895, and an executive committee was appointed to secure don*- tions of clothing, food .supplies, and cash. Two 500-pound taxes of clothing and supplies, one barrel and sixteen sacks of flour, and about $75 in cash were secured and advanced to the proper authorities in the famine-stricken districts. The contributions sent from Brashear were about the same as what Kirksville sent.

The fearful earthquake which destroyed San Francisco in April. 1906. stirred the nation perhaps as no other single event in its history. Millions of dollars poured into that city by sympathizing citizens. From Kirksville was sent SI, 016. 18. The contributions came from the

In July, 1909. all North Missouri was visited by a great flood which filial all the river bottoms and destroyed much of the crops. Adair ( Hunty suffered a great deal, but the greatest devastation was done in the Grand River bottom in Daviess County. The faculty and stu- -i-nts of the Kirksville Normal School raised during the chapel period <>ne morning, $119.00, to be sent to the Mayor of Pattonsburg to be used in assisting those who had sustained heavy losses by the flood. Among the citizens of the town a sum of money was also raised and sent to the >-mw eommunitv.

Kikes. - A complete account of the destructive conflagrations that have occurred in Kirksville would necessarily go back to the earliest times, but exact information concerning them begins not earlier than M"). It is proposed to give here an account of only those that affected th<* business interests of the town, and of these only the most important.

The first in this list is one of the most important, if not the most important, conflagrations in the county. This was the burning of the court house on April 20. 1865. An account of this has already been piven in the chapter on County organization. The loss was irreparable in many respects because of the destruction of many official records and documents.

On January 31, 1873, the west side of the square was destroys! The fire began near the center of the block in Fowler & Hope's furniture store, between one and two o'clock in the morning; it was not discovered until it had gotten well under headway, and in spite of great eff«»r>. the thirteen buildings in the block were all swept away. Had there bm a wind blowing the prospects are that the fire would have swept senthe streets and alleys to other blocks of buildings. The total loss \\> about $30,000.

On August 24, 1874, the main portion of what had been known a- Cumberland Academy was burned to the ground. This building stool on the site of the J. A. Cooley residence, long known as the R. M. Rinpi residence, in the north part of town. It was used by the Normal School from September, 1807 to January, 1873. It is believed that the fire was the work of an incendiary.

On September 24, 1878, two frame buildings on the east side «i the square occupied by the City Bakery and Coburn's Shoe Store. w»t> destroyed. Extra efforts prevented the fire from spreading.

On December 3, 1878, fire broke out in the North Missouri Hot* I. which stood on the west side of Elson street a few doors south from th< southwest corner of the square. Besides this building another franu building adjoining it on the north, was destroyed. The brick building which stood on the corner was saved from igniting. The total loss wa? about $8,000.

On December 27, 1880, fire broke out on the south side of the squan in either the store of Newlon & Granger or of Such & Company. Th« v two buildings were consumed together with three other frame building adjoining; moreover, the fire spread southward across the alley and consumed three buildings on the east side of South Elson street.

On January 27, 1883, four store rooms and one carpenter shop on the northeast corner of the square were burned. When the fire wa* discovered the Boston Store was well under way of burning. The account of the fire in the Democrat for February 1 says that during \h>- fire a meeting was held near the scene, and a committee was appointni to go over and see whether the fire engine was perfectly safe, and it wa* found that it was. The total loss was about $8,000.

was in the Ivie building near the east end of the north side. Mrs. I vie, who was then running a hotel in the upper part of the building, discovered the fire won after it pot started and pave the alarm. Men rushed into Dean's store to save his stock. While they were at this work, a k<g of powder exploded and hurled the men out of the building, blowing out the ends and walls of the building. Many men were injured by the broken glass. Among them were ('. E. Ross, Dr. Strickland. Win. Hannah, Henry Patterson. Jas. Whiteacre, (!. D. Campbell, J. Mc- ChewDey, J. H. Morris, D. E. Goodaon, H. D. Magruder, Wallace McKee, and A. L. Holmes. Fortunately no one was seriously injured. Moreover, the fire was confined to one or two adjoining buildings.

The Lindkk IHii.dinc;. This building stood on the southeast corner of the square. The fence in the foreground of the picture enclosed the court house green.

On July 8, 1883, the Kirksville Flour Mill, owned by Samuel Swi- Rert and located in the northern part of town, was destroyed by fire. The loss was $2.5.000, with only $8,000 insurance. The fire was evidently the work of an incendiary.

On June 21, 1884, the Linder building, which stood on the south* ' :i-t corner of the square whore Myers Brothers' shoe store now is, and three other buildings which adjoined it, were burned. The Linder building was a three-story frame which had been built in 1858, and had l>een considered a very fine building in those days. Mrs. Hall's millinery stock, Shultz's grocery stock, and Drs. Gotten and Morrow's office were destroyed. The fire stopped at the brick building on the south.

On February 19, 1885, two frame buildings on the north side of the square were burned to the ground. The brick buildings adjoining on either side were saved. Among the business firms sustaining loss was the Parcell's photograph gallery.

On June 1, 1888, the Kirksville Flour Mill, which had just been completed only a few months before, was so thoroughly destroyed as to require its complete building.