Jasper County, Missouri - Chapter 15: Carthage in the 'seventies, 1912

Organized as a City - ^PmsT Official Document - City Officebs, 1873-9 - Organization of Pire Department - Industries of the 'Seventies - The Carthage Gas Works - ^Newspapers - ^Banes and Baneing - The Earr HoTEii - The Carthage Opera House - ^Board OF Trade - ^Railroad Rates - Building of the First School - High School Course of Study - ^Pirst Pupils - The Carthage Library

The election for town trustees of Carthage for 1871 passed oflf quietly and resulted in the election of the following gentlemen : H. P. Beebe, Peter Hill, W. P. Stermontz, A. Cahn and D. G. Chase. The board was organized with the election of H. T. Beebe as president and George A. Case, clerk.

During the winters of 1872-3 the question of organizing a municipality was discussed. It was apparent that a better government could be had through a city government and, accordingly, at a special election held Pebruary 25, 1873, it was decided by a vote of 4 to 1 to petition the legislature for a special charter. Colonel C. C. Allen, of Carthage, state senator, pushed the matter in the legislature, and on the 7th day of March the bill granting the special charter passed the general assembly and was at once signed by the governor.

Gentlemen. - ^l congratulate you on our prosperity and growth, as evinced by our change from a village to an Incorporated City. In this our ability to still further and more rapid progress is increased.

entrusted with the management of our Municipal affairs, so mucli Is needed to be done in the way of public improvements, and our means so limited, that it is only by a careful and impartial course, that the best interest of all will be promoted. The greatest amount of improvements should be made that will not work a hardship to our industrial and commercial interest.

It is not my purpose to point out especially the objects that will demand your attention, but it is well to bear in mind that our treasury is empty, that our present debt Is between four and five thousand dollars, nearly all of which is to be paid out of our next taxes.

Knowing the energy and enterprise of our people, and our great natural ad- %*antages, I have an abiding faith In the future of the Queen City of the Southwest, which is entrusted to our government.

The new council was confronted with a great work. Carthage was at this time a city of at least five thousand people and was growing rapidly, and the council at once passed laws to regulate building, establish the grade of streets and provide better police and fire protection for the city.

The Carthage fire department was organized in December, 1872, by the formation of Pire King Hose Company. The following were its first officers: Poreman, C. 0. Harrington; assistant foreman, C. B. Woods.

The first fire apparatus was a Babcock engine and a hook and ladder truck. The fire company was composed of the best citizens of Carthage and for many years gave an annual ball on January 1st, which event was always popular and largely attended.

The Carthage Woolen Mills, for twenty years one of the most important industries of Carthage, was organized July 21, 1870, and made into yarn and cloth the wool of Jasper and neighboring counties. The company was organized with a capital stock of $20,000. William B. Myers & Son were the organizers of the company, who conducted the business very successfully during the 'seventies. The mill was located on north Main street and some forty hands were employed. It turned out a fine grade of yam, woolen blankets and high grade jeans-cloth. At the St. Louis Pair in October, 1872, the products from this mill took first prize.

On November 24, 1870, Thomas & Company completed the Globe Mill, a four-story frame. The mill had their a capacity of fifty pounds per day and made a high-grade flour.

In May, 1873, a company was organi/ed to build and operate a foundry at Carthage. The promoters were: J. W. Young, president; J. Brownsell, vice president; C. C. Allen, secretary; T. N. Davey, late of Louisville, Kentucky, superintendent. The works were situated on Garrison avenue, three blocks west of the square. At the close of the 'seventies the stock of this company was quoted at 260.

On August 7, 1874, the Brownsell wagon factory was established and a two-story brick factory at No. 2 Main street was built. In connection with the wagon factory was also operated the Eagle Machine Works, where farm implements of all kinds were made. Messrs. A. T. Wheeler, Charles Weed, A. H. Merriss, H. J. Hervin and George Keib were associated with Mr. Brownsell in the factory.

In 1875 the company filled a large contract for wagons at Springfield, showing that its reputation had gone beyond the confines of the county.

The Cowgill and Hill Mill was built during the fall of 1874, and as the years went by grew to be a four-story six-burr plant. When first built it was a small structure twenty-six by forty-eight feet. In the later part of the decade the mill was enlarged and new machinery put in, the cost of the expanded plant being $35,000.

Platts Plow Worke were established in 1875 and enjoyed a large business. The company was chartered with $20,000 capital and brought to Carthage large plow works from Des Moines, Iowa.

On August 7, 1877, a proposition was made to the city council of Carthage for the construction of gas works by Messrs. Gray, Bowman & Lewis and at a special election, on the 16th of that month, a twentyyears' franchise was granted the company by a vote of 240 to 48. The plant was built at a cost of $40,000, July 3, 1878. The city was lighted for the first time with gas and the illumination presented a great contrast with the old kerosene lamps. W. L. Carver, of Joplin was made superintendent of the company and managed its affairs for many years.

The People 's Press, independent in politics, was founded in the spring of 1872, its first issue appearing April 13th. J. A. Bodinhammer was the editor. The paper advocated reform in finance and also was the exponent of the Grange movement.

On December 18, 1873, the oflSce and fixtures of the Carthage Patriot was burned, the destruction of building, press, type and paper in stock causing a loss to Mr. Carpenter of $3,500. The Carthage Banner, with true courtesy, tendered the use of its press to the Patriot until its building could be rebuilt and the Patriot came out at the usual time of publication.

In July, 1877, Thomas H. Garland, the founder of the Carthage Banner and for eleven years its editor, retired from the staff of that paper. Mr. Garland was succeeded by A. P. Lewis. The Banner was now incorporated and issued stock for $6,000. The paper was enlarged and another column of telegraphic news added to its reading matter.

During the 'seventies three new banks were organized in Carthage and one failed, making a total of five banks which figured in the history of Carthage during the early day.

Early in the 'seventies Al Cahn bought the interest of E. W. Harper in the old Bank of Carthage and was connected with the institution until 1880. Its deposits ranged close to the $200,000 mark all during the decade.

The pioneer National bank to be established in the county was the First National bank of Carthage, which opened its doors July 6, 1872, with the following oflBcers and directors : President, Jesse Thacker ; vice

In 1878 the First National Bank surrendered its charter and reorganized as the Traders Bank, with a capital of $30,000, preferring to operate as a state rather than a national institution.

The Farmers and Drovers Bank was chartered and commenced business in 1875. Levi Star was its first manager. In 1877 the controling stock was bought by Messrs. Goucher and Moore and the following officers were elected to manage its affairs: D. R. Gtoucher president and J. L. Moore cashier. Mr. Moore was a very courteous gentleman and soon made the Farmers and Drovers as popular as any financial institution and greatly increased its deposits.

In February, 1876, after successfully having passed through the panic of 1873, and having maintained a most excellent reputation in a financial way, the banking house of Peter Myers and Company, which had been in existence since 1868, failed, and with its failure brought much financial embarrassment to the business men of Carthage.

The Karr Hotel, southwest corner of Main street and Central avenue, was built in 1878 by J. C. Karr of Parsons, Kansas. The popular hostelry was a three-story structure thirty-six by eighty feet. It was formally opened Thanksgiving day, 1878, with a ball and banquet which was attended by the leading people of Carthage. George W. Rose was its first proprietor.

The year 1879 saw another new and well-equipped hotel opened in Carthage. On March 10th the City Hotel, under the management of Warner & South, threw open its doors to the public. The building was a three-story brick thirty-five by seventy feet and contained a parlor, office and commodious dining room. It was a popular and well patronized dollar-a-day house.

During the winter of 1877-8 the Carthage Opera House was built by Messrs. Burlingame & Chaffee at a cost of $10,000. The Opera House occupied the second story of a business block on the south side of the square and was fifty-five by one hundred feet with 18-foot ceiling. It had a seating capacity of 900 and was for its day finely api)ointed. It was opened February 28, 1878, with a grand ball given by the management complimentary to the Carthage Light Guard. The ball was attended by 100 couples and the affair went down in history as the society event of the season.

president; S. B. Griswold, vice president; Julius Cahn, secretary and treasurer ; A. B. Parkell, J. G. Leidy, J. T. RuflSn, Frank Hill and J. E. Mobley, executive committee.

One of the first important actions taken by the board of trade was the appointment of a railroad committee, which, in August, 1877, made a pilgrimage to North Carolina for the purpose of interviewing the officers of the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Qulf Railway relating to a reduction of freight rates and better connection with the Western at Columbus, Kansas.

No definite promise was secured from the railway ofiicials and on October 4th, with the view of forcing the railroads to a compliance with the laws, Galen Spencer, prosecuting attorney, was asked to file proceed- ings against the agent at Carthage, which he did. After a brief legal battle the roads made some slight concessions to the merchants, and Jasper county profited as a result of the vigorous action of the Carthage Board of Trade. The board also accomplished much good for the community and was a great help to the entire business community.

by Judge 0. H. Picher and a number of ringing speeches were inade favoring the building of a schoolhouse in keeping with the growing needs of the Queen City. It was decided to ask the school board to submit the question to the people of voting $30,000 for the building of the new school, and the question carried by a large majority. At the succeeding spring election the following gentlemen were elected members of the board and looked after the details of the building : Jacob W. Young, D. S. Thomas, W. H. Phelps, C. C. Colby, S. B. McMerrick and J. Brownsell. The building was erected on a site containing two and one half acres of land and was patterned after the High School of Richmond, Indiana.

The school was ready for occupancy for the fall term. The following were the teachers who first occupied this building and mapped out the course of study first pursued: S. M. Dickey, principal; S. B. Ormsby, M. L. Boyden, S. E. Brooks, L. C. Merwin, Jennie Herrington, Leba C. Stephenson and J. W. Wilson, teachers.

It will be noted that six of the eight teachers were men. J. C. Mason of Vermont became principal of the Carthage schools in 1875 and served two years. Professor Mason greatly strengthened the schools, but resigned in 1877 to accept the superintendency of the school at Joplin. He was succeeded by L. Willson, principal of the high school.

High School Course op Study Under the superintendency of Mr. Willson a course of study for the high school was adopted and the pupils classified accordingly. The following is the course of study adopted August 30, 1877 :

The following monthly report shows the standing of the pupils of the school at the end of the first year of Prof. Willson's administration; 100 signifies perfect, 90 very good, 80 good and 50 indifferent.

This class contains the names of several who have won state-wide reputation. Ed Crow was circuit judge in 1894 and was elected attorney-general of Missouri in 1896. R. 0. Pixley was grand chancellor of the Knights of Pythias in 1909 and E. B. Jacobs, cashier of the First National Bank of Carthage and president of the Jasper County Bankers Association is one of the shrewdest financiers of the county.

The first class from the high school was graduated May, 1878, and contained the following names: Frank Pierce, Ed C. Crow, Louie Brown, Ira I. McConnell, Florence C. Parkell, Nettie Beasley and Fannie West.

One of the most popular literary societies at Carthage during the early 'seventies was the Carthage Literary Society, which was organized during the fall of 1870 and which, for several winters afterwards, held most interesting meetings. The officers for the season of 1870-1 were W. A. Glassford, president, and A. C. Spencer, secretary.

We note among the Carthagenians who have achieved success in life, the following prominent members of the society: E. Jacobs, George A. Case, and F. M. Harrison.

In 1872 this association was instrumental in securing a lecture course at Carthage which included among others the following noted platform orators : fton. John Monteith, John Baker, of Chicago, and Prof. Winchell of the ^Michigan University.

Carthage is often referred to as the Queen City and well deserves the compliment, not only on account of her many beautiful homes, but because of the high moral tone and literary tendencies of its people.

The first public library in the county was founded at Carthage in January, 1870. A number of literary and book-loving people met for the purpose of talking over plans for the establishment of a reading room. Judge O. H. Picher was called to the chair and H. C. Henney acted as secretary. After a discussion of the matter it was decided to found a library, and the literary-loving people were asked to donate books and subscribe money for its benefit. On February 22nd the society event of the season, a grand ball, was given at Regan's Hall for the benefit of the library and a neat sum was netted. This was the beginning of a series of entertainment given for the library and by June 1st enough money had been raised with which to buy the first instalment of books and magazines.

O. H. Picher and H. C. Henney and Mesdames Tower, Mitchell and Griffith were appointed a committee to select the same. The library at first was placed in the Banner Office and H. C. Henney, city editor of that paper, was made librarian. Wednesday and Saturday of each week were library days and the books were widely read. At the end of the first year of the association, four hundred and thirty-seven books were in the library .