Buchanan County, Missouri - Chapter 11, 1900

Chapter 11

THE PARKS OF ST. JOSEPH, THEIR HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT. - LAKE CONTRARY AS CITY PROPERTY. - THE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY; ITS ORIGIN AND EXPANSION. - STREET LIGHTING; FROM GAS TO ELECTRICITY AND MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP. - THE CITY'S SEWER SYSTEM; ITS HISTORY AND CONDITION. - STREET PAVING; THE VARIOUS

Periods Of Progress

There are four public parks in the city proper. Krug Park, the largest and most beautiful, is beyond the city limits, though under municipal jurisdiction. All of these parks were donated. Smith Park was the gift of the late Frederick W. Smith, Patee Park the gift of the late John Pattee; Mitchell Park, the gift of James Mitchell, and Washington Park, the gift of those who placed St. Joseph Extension Addition on the market.

These were all dedicated when the additions containing them were platted. Krug Park, containing ten acres, was the gift of Henry and William Krug, made in February of 1889, the conditions being that the council spend annually the sum of $1,500 in beautifying and maintaining the park, and the restrictions being that no intoxicating liquors be permitted to be sold.

Smith and Patee parks were rough ground in the beginning, but the grader made all things even. Up to 1879 Smith Park was occupied by a florist. When the Smith branch sewer, which cut through the northeastern portion of the park, was completed the place was graded and filled. In 1882, an iron fence was built. In 1884, Dr. Henry D. Cogswell, of San Francisco, a noted advocate of temperance, presented the city with his statue, to be placed in the park. Dr. Cogswell was engaged in perpetuating himself by the means of these statues, which are mounted upon a drinking fountain. Samuel Westheimer, who was then a member of the council, and who had been instrumental in having Smith Park opened for public use, heard of Dr. Cogswell. Mr. Westheimer was of the opinion that any kind of a statue would look better than no statue, and if one could be had without cost, the effort should be made. He therefore induced the council to request Dr. Cogswell for his likeness in metal. The doctor was a little slow, but finally yielded - conditionally, however. The conditions were that the city should purchase four lamps and should agree to keep the fountains running during the drinking season, and that one fountain should give forth ice water. These conditions were agreed to and the statue arrived. The city built a substantial base, under which provision was made for cooling the water. This feature of the bargain, however, has long been neglected, and the lamp posts are now used as pedestals for flower pots. Much sport was made of the statue at the time of its arrival and some wag circulated the report that it was the advertisement of a vinegar bitters. Dr. Cogswell, though vain, was a wellmeaning man, and did everything in his power to promote and encourage temperance, even to being a candidate for the presidency in the interest of prohibition.

Patee Park was opened to the public at about the same time as Smith Park. The ground was low, and a fill of five feet was made when Messanie street was graded. Cottonwood trees grew there in profusion for a time, but these were cut out and other shade provided.

Washington Park, which was originally dedicated for a market place, was beautified in 1894, and has since been greatly appreciated bv the people of the northwestern portion of the city.

St. Joseph owes much to the energy and perseverence of the park board. Before 1890 there was a council committee on parks. Mayor Shepherd appointed the first board of commissioners, naming H. M. Garlichs, Wm. E. Jamieson and N. P. Ogden. These commissioners employed a superintendent, Rudolph Ran, a skillful florist and landscape gardener, who is still in his place. The council provided liberally, and the result is that Krug Park is one of the most picturesque places in the West, and in ten years will surpass any public park of its size and kind in the country.

There were those who believed, and with good reason, that if the city owned Lake Contrary that body of water and the surroundings would be greatly improved and beautified. Congressman R. P. C. Wilson was appealed to, and, in 1890, secured the passage of an act of congress granting to the city of St. Joseph Lake Contrary and the shores thereof. Early in 1891, the city ordered a canal cut to unite the upper and lower lakes. The farmers in the neighborhood protested and obtained an injunction. The cause was tried, and it was found that the United States, having previously given to the state of Missouri all of the territory embracing Lake Contrary, had no right to give the property to the city, having in fact no title. Had the result of the trial been favorable to the city Lake Contrary would appear to better advantage than it does now.

The park board has been composed as follows since 1890: For 1890-93, H. M. Garlichs, Wm. E. Jamieson, N. P. Ogden; for 1893- 94, Joseph Hansen, Charles F. Bacon, F. G. Hopkins; for 1894-96, Chas. F. Bacon, F. G. Hopkins, John L. Bittinger; for 1896-98, Frank G. Hopkins, Charles F. Bacon, Sol Ehrman ; for 1898-99, Frank G. Hopkins, Sol Ehrman, Henry Uhlman.

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY - Prior to 1887 there were several circulating libraries in St. Joseph. In May of that year Warren Samuel announced through the newspapers that he would give the free use of a room in his building at Tenth and Charles streets for library purposes, provided a certain sum of money could be raised for the purchase of books. Mrs. T. F. Van Natta and Mrs. George C. Hull took the matter in hand, and, ascertaining from Mr. Samuels that if $5,000 was raised he would give the use of a room for five years, plans were at once outlined for securing the sum required. These ladies, together with Mrs. John S. Lemon, successfully solicited seventy-five life memberships at $50 each, and they had collected a total of $3,000 by the August following. When the financial work had progressed thus far, Mr. Samuels executed a lease of the large room on the second floor of his building for three years, with the understanding that the lease would be extended to five years when the remainder of the fund should have been collected.

T. F. Van Natta, treasurer ; Airs. George C. Hull, secretary, and Airs. M. A .Reed, Mrs. John D. Richardson, Jr., Mrs. John I. Mc- Donald and Mrs. B. F. Colt.

The library opened with 2,200 volumes of well-selected books, and during the first year of its existence 1,000 additional volumes were added. Under these auspices it did excellent work, but a lack of funds prevented the success desired. The small yearly sum charged for the use of the library, $2, proved inadequate to its needs, but the library was by no means permitted to languish. The ladies in charge worked hard and through their efforts alone the institution was kept intact.

In January, 1890, Edward S. Douglas suggested the idea of taking advantage of the state law which authorized cities to establish free public libraries by a vote of the people, and the suggestion met with hearty support. Purd B. Wright, the present librarian, united with Mr. Douglas in the movement, and these two pushed the matter. Petitions were prepared asking that the. question of voting a tax of three-tenths of a mill be submitted to the voters of the city, as authorized bv law. Only one hundred names were necessary, but many times this number were secured. When presented to the mayor and council for official consideration the petition contained not only the names of the mayor, George J. Englehart, but those of nine of the ten aldermen as well, in their capacity as citizens. The question being submitted to the voters, such was the interest that had been aroused that it carried by a vote of more than six to one.

I11 April, 1890, the then mayor-elect, Wm. M. Shepherd, appointed as the first board of directors Rev. H. L. Foote, Prof. E. B. Neeley, Willard P. Hall, H. G. Getchell, Dr. J. Francis Smith, B. Newburger, G. W. Hendlev, Mrs. J. S. Lemon and Mrs. George C. Hull. Rev. Foote was at the first meeting elected president and Mr. Getchell, secretary; Prof. E. I». Neeley at the next meeting being elected nee-president. After a few months' service, Mrs. Hull and Mrs. Lemon and Dr. Smith resigned from the board, Mr. Johnson, Geo. C. Hull and J. L. Bittinger succeeding them. Mr. Foote remained the president of the board until he left the city in 1895. Prof. E. B. Neeley acted as president during the remainder of the term and was succeeded by Rev. Henry Bullard, who in turn gave way in 1896 to jolm DeClue, an old member of the board, and who is still its head.

Soon after organizing Henry J. Carr, of Grand Rapids, Mich., was employed as librarian, and remained with the library until July, 1891, when he resigned to accept a more lucrative position as head of the Scranton, Pa., public library, just organizing.

Meantime, the old library association, by a vote of a majority of its directors and life members, donated the books owned by it to the free public library, numbering 3,272 volumes, and went out of existence, having accomplished its real purpose in providing the nucleus of the present successful institution. Mrs. Russell, who had succeeded Miss Millan as librarian, was continued in the employ of the free library under Mr. Carr. The remainder of the force was Miss C. L. Rathbun, still at the library ; Miss L. C. Senter, who was appointed assistant librarian in April, which position she still retains ; and Miss Agnes Van Volkenburg. Miss A. M. Perry was the next employe, and is still a member of the staff.

Large purchases of books were made as soon as a librarian was employed, but the work of classifying and cataloguing required so much time that the library was not opened for the issue of books for home use until March 16, 1891, with 5,510 volumes ; the reference and reading rooms, however, having been opened two months previously. On the resignation of Mr. Carr, George T. Wright, formerly of this city, but then of California, was offered the position, but declined on account of his health, and William H. Culver was appointed, continuing in charge until the following year in May, when he resigned. Miss L. C. Senter assumed charge of the library and conducted it until July 1, when H. L. Elmendorf was appointed to the position of librarian. He remained with the library until October 1, 1896, when he, too, resigned and was succeeded by Purd B. Wright, the present incumbent.

During the administration of Mr. Culver the library was removed from Sixth and Charles streets to its present location at Tenth and Svlvanie streets.

John L. Bittinger, Clinton M. Shultz, Wm. H. Morlock, Dr. Barton Pitts, J. W. Atwill and William H. Gordon have also been members of the library board. At this time (1898) the library board is organized as follows: John De Clue, president; Rev. J. L. Lawless vice-president; Charles A. Pfeiffer, secretary-treasurer; Henry K. White, chairman of library committee; Lewis M. Smith, James McEvov, John M. Stewart, Charles P. Cargill and Dr. J. M. Riley.

The library contains 14,859 volumes, of which number 11,113 are in the circulating department, 1,387 in the reference department, and 2,359 in the government department.

STREET LIGHTING. - As early as 1856 the city aided in the erection of a plant for the manufacture of illuminating gas, but this proved an unprofitable investment. In 1861 a second concern secured the contract and the city was lighted, after a fashion, with gas, until 1889. In J88 7 gasoline lamps mounted on wooden posts, supplied by a Chicago concern, were added to the system.

pany of Chicago for a $60,000 plant, to be paid for in two years. The city built a power house at Fifth and Olive streets. Walter C. Stewart superintended the construction of the plant and managed it for the Excelsior company. Frank P. Yenawine was the first city electrician, succeeding Mr. Stewart in 1891. He served until May of 1896 and was in turn succeeded by Mr. Stewart, who is the present superintendent.

Since its erection various improvements have been added to the plant, making the total cost nearly $100,000. Eight dynamos of thirty-light capacity, two of eighty-light capacity, three engines of 135 horse power, and three boilers of 125 horse power are used. The plant was started with 210 lamps, and increased during the following year to 263. In 1898 the lamps in use numbered 369. The annual cost of each lamp has gradually lessened, falling from nearly $90 per lamp at the beginning to less than $60 at the present time.

THE SEWERAGE SYSTEM. - There are now (1898) nearly forty-nine thousand lineal feet of main sewers in St. Joseph. In the early days the creeks that coursed through the city from the hills formed the only drainage. Blacksnake, Bush branch, Smith branch and Liniment (or Patee branch) were all creeks of consequence, especially when the rains were heavy. In planning the sewerage system of the city these natural water courses were followed wherever possible. The first effort at sewering was made in 1867, when a section was built between Fifth and Sixth streets, covering Bush branch. In 1870 an extension of 160 feet was added, which brought the sewer to a point on Fifth street about where the side entrance to the Tootle Theatre is. This is a five-foot sewer and its mouth was then above ground. There was a trap-door, hinged at the top, which opened automatically when the volume of water was great enough. The street was paved in the shape of a gutter, and during heavy rains was impassable.

The sewer-building era properly began in 1874, when a nine-foot solid limestone sewer was constructed on Charles street, from the river to Seventh street. This was followed by the completion of the Smith branch sewer, which had been started at an earlier period, and which now extends from Twentieth street and Frederick avenue to Seventh and Charles streets. The Bush branch sewer was next continued down Fifth street to Charles. The combined length of these sewers is 16,523 feet.

Messanie street was sewered from the river to Eighth street in 1879. This is a round brick culvert, five feet in diameter. The total length of the sewer now is 1,856 feet.

The building of the Union Depot at Sixth street and Mitchell avenue made it necessary to sewer Liniment creek. In 1880 a section reaching from Fifth to Eighth streets was built. In 1886 it was completed to the river. This is called the Mitchell avenue sewer. It is thirteen to fifteen feet in diameter, and built of brick. The I'atee branch sewer, ranging in diameter from eight and one-half to ten and one-half feet, oval, brick, joins the Mitchell avenue sewer at Eighth street. It was built in sections and completed to Twentysecond street in 1894. The combined length is 8,188 feet. From its terminus there is a pipe sewer to the asylum.

The first section of Blacksnake sewer was built in 1883 across Main street. In 1889 it was carried east to Third street. In 1891 the city and the Chicago Great Western Railway Company jointly built the sewer from the Main street section to the river. In 1894 the sewer was extended from Third street, along the course of Blacksnake creek, to Pendleton street; and in 1896, to Middleton street. This is a brick sewer, egg-shaped. The dimensions of the western portion are 14^x17 feet. At the-time of its building it was the largest brick sewer in the world. The dimensions of the eastern portion are I3ixl52 feet. The total length of the Blacksnake sewer is 4,797 feet.

Olive stret and Patee street have five-foot brick sewers, tapering to three feet. The length of the Olive street sewer is 2,110 feet, and of the Patee street sewer is 2,794 feet. There is an eight-foot brick sewer on Grand avenue, 1,154 fet in length, which will be extended in time to the Blacksnake sewer. There is also a twelve-foot sewer on Atchison street, 300 feet long, which will be extended in time.

There are several four- and five-foot sewers of considerable length, all of which will be extended. On Middleton, Linn and Chestnut streets there is one of this class, 1,716 feet in length; on Isabelle street, from Blacksnake west, one of 710 feet; on Franklin street, from Blacksnake west, one of 2,040 feet; Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Sacramento streets, one of 1,409 feet; on Nineteenth street, one of 2,623 feet; on Twenty-third and Olive streets, one of 1,246 feet.

There are also I9>455 feet of public pipe-sewers and over thirtyone miles of district sewers that drain into these main sewers. In all, there are nearly forty-four miles of sewers in St. Joseph.

Prior to 1885 property owners who desired sewerage had to build at their own expense. Now, however, the city is divided into sewer districts, and when a sewer is desired in a certain neighborhood, to drain into a main sewer, three or more property owners petition the council, and an ordinance is passed ordering the sewer. The city engineer advertises for bids, and when the work is completed the cost is assessed against all of the real estate in the district, in proportion to the number of square feet contained in each lot. Special tax bills are issued, which bear 6 per cent interest after thirty days. The contractor is placed under bond to keep his work in repair for one year. By this method the burden of sewer building has been lightened, and, as a consequence, the drainage of St. Joseph is excellent.

STREET PAVING. - From 1866 to 1873 ^ie topography of the city underwent a great transformation. The grader opened streets, leveled hills and filled hollows; many miles of macadam were put down in the business and residence portions of the city. There had been street paving in the neighborhood of the Market square before the war, but the streets in general were in bad condition. Nor did the enterprising people of St. Joseph stop at home in their zeal for paving, but they went across the river - or at least their money did - and aided in the building of a rock road from Elwood west. Bonds in the sum of $25,000 were voted for this purpose, and the money was doubtless returned indirectly by the farmers who came to the city over the highway. Portions of the rock road are still in existence, though in bad repair.

The panic of 1873 checked all public improvements, and for the next thirteen years little paving was done. By 1886 the business streets were in wretched condition. The macadam was worn in many places beyond repair. Omaha was putting down asphaltum pavements. Dr. Thomas H. Doyle, who had been elected mayor upon the issue of good streets, was a strong advocate of asphaltum, and a committee that visited Omaha brought back satisfactory reports. The real estate boom was on and the prospects seemed brilliant. There was no difficulty in securing signers for street paving, and so the work began, in the summer of 1886. Felix and Edmond streets were paved with asphaltum, and Francis street to Frederick avenue ; as were also Fourth street, from Felix to Oliye, and Third street, from Jule street to Messanie. In 1887 Sixth street was paved with asphaltum from Atchison street to Hall, and Frederick avenue from Eighth street to its terminus. In 1888 cedar blocks were put down on Twentieth and on Faraon streets, and during the same year many miles of macadam were laid in the residence districts. In 1890 vitrified brick was introduced, and with this material Francis street was paved from Frederick avenue to Thirteenth street, Main street from Felix to Isidore, and Fifth street from Patee to Antoine. In 1891 brick paving was laid on Messanie street from Second street to Eighth, on Lafayette street from Twenty-second to Twenty-eighth, and on Olive from Twenty-sixth to Twenty-eighth. In 1892 Charles street, from Second street to Twelfth, was paved with brick; in 1893 Jule street, from Main street to Sixth, and Fourth street, from Francis street to Faraon, were similarly paved.

For the next four years no paving except macadam was put down, and not much of that. In the fall of 1897 Third street was paved with asphaltum from Jule street to Franklin. Seventh street, from Olive to Robidoux, is to be paved with asphaltum also.