Jasper County, Missouri - Chapter 20: In the Later 'seventies, 1912

Kansas City, Port Scx)tt and Gulp - ^A City op Holes - Death op Joshua P. Taylor - Something About Black Jack - ^Board op Trade - Building op the Presbyterian Church - The Independent Order op Odd Fellows - Ancient Order op United Workmen - ^Thb . White Lead Works - The Granby Smelter - The Joplin Opera House - The ** Herald" - The Miners' Bank - Jopun Gas Works - The Francis Murphy Movement - Old Skating Bink - Fire Department Reorganized - Jopun Expositions - Harmon's Foundry - Schools - City Politics - Willie Watson's Christmas Sock - Webb City - G. P. Ashcrapt - ^Wbbb City as a Town - As a Fourth-Class City - First Church - The Blunt Raid - Cartbrvtlle - Oronogo - Other Towns.

Secondly - ^Lead was discovered at Short Creek (now Galena) just across the Kansas line, and large numbers of Joplin people went to the new camp, which, like pioneer Joplin, was a live wire. The main business thoroughfare in Short Creek was called **Red Hot street*' and the name told the whole story.

Lastly - Many of the shallow pockets of lead had been mined out and the shafts abandoned, the prospectors not knowing that just a little deeper down would be found the richer deposits of jack, abandoned the prospect to try their success in newer fields.

While there was a slight falling off in population there was, however, a steady growth in a business way, the Joplin & Girard Railway being completed, the white lead works and two foundries built and a number of other industries established.

Up to the close of the 'teventlei lead was the standard - the highest price being paid for Jack during: the 'seventies was fourteen dollars a ton. While JV>plln lost a considerable floating number In 1878-0. it held Its own and rounded out the decade with only a slight decrease In population, as shown by the special census January 1, 1877, which showed a bona flde population (not counting the floating, or the couple of thousand Just out of the city) of 7.544.

As mentioned in our article on railroads, the Joplin and Girard was the first road to enter the former city and the story of its building is unique and full of interest. In December, 1875, Messrs. Moflfet and Sergeant organized the Joplin Railway Company with a capital stock of $600,000, all of which was subscribed by local capital. It is related by old-timers that at the commencement of this railway project Moflfet and Sergeant had lying idle in their safe $125,000 in greenbacks and that this was used as a nucleus with which to build the road. The purpose of its construction was threefold - ^to provide a cheaper and quicker mode of transporting the oar to the market ; to have a direct route to the Kansas coal field and thus bring the fuel to the smelters and to open a northern market. At this time St. Louis was the only market for the Joplin product.

The first rail on the road was laid in May, 1876, W. C. Hinkson of the Halyard Hardware Company, this city, driving the first spike. As soon as the road was completed to Pittsburgh a box car was set out for a depot and the road began operations with one engine and a few cars, hauling freight and passengers between these two points and pushing out the construction gang as the road was completed to the south. This road was not bonded, but was paid for piece by piece as it was completed, the stockholders digging up successive assessments as the construction went on. In the fall of 1876 the road was finished to the McGee Crossing on Turkey creek and completed to Joplin the next summer, the last spike, appropriately made of lead, being driven August 26, 1877. The depot was located in Smelter Hill, just north of the Leckie foundry, and was occupied by A. E. Stillwell, a prince of good fellows, as agent, who moved the office stock from the box-car depot which had been moved along with the construction from Girard to the end of the line. The first train to run into Joplin was pulled by Pete Butterly as engineer and conductor W. C. Hinkson wielding the ticket puncher. It was the original design of this company to extend the road to Neosho and into north Arkansas and capital was at once subscribed to complete the line. A right-of-way was acquired and grading commenced and a road bed completed to beyond Thurman, when in 1879 the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway bought the Joplin and Girard, which has since operated as a part of its system. The road to the south has never been completed and after the sale of the line the depot at Smeller was discontinued and later torn down.

In 1879 the Missouri and Northwestern Railway, now the 'Frisco, was built from Oronogo to Joplin and the cars were running before the close of the year.

During 1879 the Kansas City, Pt. Scott and Gulf, later the Memphis route and now a part of the 'Prisco system was built to Joplin and the train began running in October, 1879.

As mentioned before, the early mining of Joplin was shallow digging and, too often, when the miner had mined out the first pocket struck he abandoned the shaft. In time this left the city with hundreds of abandoned mines and the Carthage Banner very appropriately spoke of Joplin during the latter 'seventies as the City of Holes. It was not until a number of accidents had happened, and several deaths had occurred, before the owners of the land and the miners were compelled to fill up the abandoned mines in close proximity to the streets and largely traveled roads.

The following article, clipped from the Daily News, August 12, 1877, will illustrate how dangerous was the conditions of the locality during the 'seventies: ** Never before have we been called upon to chronicle an affair with as great sorrow as we now record the terrible and sudden death of Joshua P. Taylor, the foreman of the Daily News, Saturday evening Mr. Taylor left the oflSce in company with a fellow-craftsman, an old-time acquaintance, and to please him, who had heard so much of Joplin, they took a stroll over the city. They remained on West Main street until near ten o'clock, when they passed down on Broadway, merely through curiosity. The night was dark and they missed their way and Mr. Taylor who was in advance, fell head-long into a shaft which opened its cavernous jaws to receive him. His companion gave the alarm, and in a few moments the shaft was surrounded by sturdy miners, a windlass and rope were immediately procured, and they soon had the dying man at the top. He was taken to his residence on Joplin street, where a more careful examination of his injuries was made. His scalp was found cut in three places, and his skull slightly fractured. No bones were broken, but he received internal injuries to the lungs which showed that death was inevitable. His wife up to this time had been led to believe that his wounds were slight, and when informed that medical skill could not save him her grief was indeed painful to witness. At half past two o'clock Sunday morning the spirit of Joshua P. Taylor took its flight and the circle of friends who stood kbout his couch beheld only the inanimate remains of one whom they had learned to love and admire for his noble qualities and goodness of heart.

which the deceased had long been an honored member. His death will be learned with profound sorrow by his old associates both in the East and West, and many a printer who has been his companion in the past will drop a tear to his memory.''

Toward the close of the 'seventies zinc had come into considerable prominence in the mining district. We publish here a clipping from the Daily News, April 4, 1878, which gives an idea of the manner it steadily crept into prominence: **The dissatisfaction existing among many miners concerning the prices paid for black jadk, arises in many cases from the fact that to us in the southwest zinc ore is but imperfectly understood, it having been a remarkable product here only within the past three or four years. Until within the last two and a half years the price paid for it was so small that but few miners cared to handle it ; in fact, it did not pay them to do so unless they had a solid face of the rosin ore on which to work. This being the case, and consequently not being experts, they find it to be a difficult matter to distinguish between first class ores and those of lower grades.

** Black jack at present is quoted at $11 a ton for 'strictly first-class' ore, and that is all that is paid for it. But there is ore which is graded even above ,' first clasd,' and which commands a premium in the market. Only two mines yielding such ore are found in the southwest, which are on Parr hill and operated by Hoffman & Saunders and Barbee & Mc- Clelland. This ore is much better than any other now mined and commands about thirty-three per cent, more in the market. Consequently, many labor under the impression that their ore should be worth as much as the Parr hill article because, not being experts, they cannot distinguish the difference in the grades.

**Why the Parr hill ore should be any better than any other in the same locality is a matter which even the most expert geologists have not been able to explain. The presence of iron, salvage, mundic and other impurities tend greatly to reduce the value of the article, and we have noticed that those who take the most pains to clean their ore always receive the highest price. It should be well cleaned, for if it is not the buyer must not only pay for cleaning it himself, but must pay freights to distant points on the dirt as well as the ore. This fact the buyer takes into consideration, and the result is, the miner who sells dirty ore must pay all those expenses, which reduces the value of his ore. As soon as southwest miners become as well acquainted with zinc ore as they are with lead ore and as able to grade it, then transactions between them and buyers will be far more pleasant than at present."

On October 31, 1877, the Joplin Board of Trade was organized, its charter list representing nearly every line of business in the city. Shortly after its organization that body made a trip to Kansas City for the purpose of becoming better acquainted with the wholesale interests and to catch a few pointers on up-to-date merchandising. The trip was both pleasant and profitable.

In 1876 the Rev. D. K. Campbell of Alleghany City, Pennsylvania, came to the Joplin field and took charge of the First Presbyterian church. Rev. Campbell was sent to the Joplin charge by the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions. West Joplin had now passed East Joplin in point of size and it was the sense of the new pastor that the church would cover a larger field of activity if the congregation was moved to West town, and, accordingly, the half interest which the Presbyterians owned in the East Joplin church was sold back to the South Methodists and the church moved to the west side, taking temporary quarters in Ferguson's hall at Fourth and Main streets.

Measures were now taken to erect a church building and Col. 0. S. Picher, father of 0. H. and W. H. Picher, of the Picher Lead Company, donated a lot seventy by one hundred and ten feet at the northeast comer of Seventh and Main streets, and there a brick church was erected in 1877, the edifice being dedicated the first Sabbath in September of that year.

Rev. Cyrus H. Dunlap, of Springfield, preached the dedicatory sermon and was assisted by the Rev. W. S. Knight of Carthage. The bell (now in the belfry of the Bethany church, South Joplin) was a gift to the society of John H. Taylor, who, at that time, was a citizen of Carthage. At the time the congregation entered its new home the church membership was thirty-five.

April 26, 1877, the natal day of the three-linked fraternity, was duly celebrated in Joplin. The parade, which included the several lodges of the county and the encampments of Joplin and Carthage, was followed by the exercises at the Tabernacle. The oration of the day was delivered by John W. McAntire and those who heard the address pronounced it his masterpiece.

Fraternal insurance, which now is exceedingly popular throughout the land, first came into prominent notice through the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and while that society is not the pioneer in fraternal insurance it may properly be said that it was popularized by this organization.

Joplin Lodge No. 34 was organized November 19, 1877, with the following charter members : T. J. Howell, W. B. Halyard, J. C. Faulkender, L. C. Hamilton, H. L. Checkering, John Page, Ira Creech, H. C. Combs,

John Gibbons, John Rousch, F. L. Combs, Jacob Schlars, W. J. Hasted, A. E. McGregor, S. H. Caldwell, J. C. Gastos, Philip Arnold and L. A. Fillmore.

During the year 1877 the first plant of the White Lead Works was built and from then to now, the lead factory has been the pride of all Joplin and perhaps its most widely-advertised institution.

Prior to the building of these works, lead was smelted by the old process and a considerable portion of the lead fumes went up in smoke ; in fact, the best and most experienced smelters would lose at least onethird of the lead in this manner.

E. 0. Bartlett, of Philadelphia, conceived the idea of catching the lead fumes, extracting them from the smoke and thus save the millions of dollars formerly lost in the smelting process.

For ten years, from 1866 to 1876, he experimented with a process which he had thought out. At length, in 1876, feeling certain that he had worked out the process satisfactorily, he came to Joplin and asked permission of Moffet & Sergeant to erect a small experimental lead factory at the smelter of the Lone Elm Mining & Smelting Company. This firm, quick to see the value of an invention of this kind, granted the permission and the process was attached to all of the eyes in their lead furnaces. The experiment was a success and Mr. Bartlett patented his process.

A company was now organized, consisting of Messrs. E. 0. Bartlett, Moffet & Sergeant and Geo. T. Lewis, to build white lead works using the new process. The first plant cost $80,000 and was a frame structure. This factory turned out a high grade of lead spelter and also manufactured pure and sublimated white lead which is sold in all the markets of the world ; the United States government is a purchaser from this factory, using the Joplin white lead to paint the battleships of the navy. The lead works are now owiaed and operated by the Picher Lead Company. A further mention of this wonderful process will be made in our notes of the last decade.

During the fall of 1877 the Granby Mining and Smelting Company erected a large furnace in Lone Elm. This smelter employed a large force of men and smelted the lead from their lands, but during the 'eighties the plant was abandoned and torn down.

The Blackwell (Joplin) Opera House was built in 1877, and was for its time a nice show-house. The amusement hall occupied the second floor of a business block between First and Second, and H. H. Haven was the manager of the theater. The house was opened September 17th, with Blanche De Barr in ''Pair Women.'* The Joplin was a popular show house until the middle 'eighties, and a number of old-tiine stars appeared before its footlights, among them Fay Templeton and Blind Tom.

On March 4, 1877, the' Sunday Herald made its first appearance in Joplin and was published as a weekly until November, when it was changed to a daily and continued as such until 1901, when it consolidated with the Daily News under the name of the Joplin News-Herald,

The Herald, was ably edited by A. W. Carson, more commonly known as Kit Carson, and from its beginning was a popular sheet. Mr. Carson was quick to see the funny side of life and often chronicled the happenings of the day in a humorous vein. He, too, had a faculty of knowing what was news and its columns were both interesting and spicy. Politically, the Herald was Democratic. In compiling the remaining pages of this book the author will (luote fre(|uently from the Herald^ a full file of which is at the Carnegie Library, a gift to that institution by Mr. Carson some years before his death.

In 1877 the private banking house of P. Murphy & Company opened its doors to the public. Patrick Murphy was its president and Frank Kershaw cashier. A year later Mr. Murphy became associated with T. K. Tootle of St. Joseph, T. K. Hanna of Kansas City, and C. H. Brewster of Boonville, and its name was changed to the Miners' Bank, which was chartered as a state institution. The ofScers of the reorganized institution were: P. Murphy, president; C. H. Brewster, vice president; Frank Kershaw, cashier.

The great confidence which the citizens of Joplin had in Pat Murphy, together with the financial reputation of the Tooles of St. Joseph brought to the bank a large business.

On September 19, 1876, C. E. Gray, Henry Flood and A. B. Bowman, of St. Louis, met with the city council in special session and submitted a proposition to erect gas works in Joplin and pipe it through the city. The proposition seemed fair and was accepted, an ordinance granting a franchise being passed by that body. C. J. Lewis of Lawrence, Kansas^ a construction engineer of ability, was engaged to superintend the work. Material for the construction was at once ordered and in December the work of laying mains and building the plant was commenced. On March 4th, the same day that the Herald made its first publication, fires were placed in the benches, and on the 24th day of the same month Joplin was illuminated for the f rst time. The Herald in its issue of March 25th says : * * The gas works were completed a few days ago and gas turned into the main for the first time last night. Considering that it is the first production of the works, it bums exceedingly well. This is the grandest feather that has ever been stuck in Joplin's cap. The speedy manner in which the works have been pushed forward to completion merits for the company the thanks of the citizens of this city."

The gas plant and reservoir were located between the two towns on Joplin creek just south of Broadway. C. J. Lewis, the superintendent of the works, remained with the company until 1887, when he accepted a similar position with the Hannibal Water Company, of Hannibal, Missouri.

The early months of 1878 saw in Joplin a great temperance revival in the Murphy Red Ribbon Movement which swept over the country that year. The meetings were held in the Tabernacle and for three months were nightly attended by thousands of people, the house not being able to hold the vast audiences that nightly crowded the old church building. This movement resulted in a closing of the Sunday saloon for a time and was the beginning of a movement to close the stores on Sunday. Twelve thousand men in Joplin signed the pledge and joined the Red Ribbon Chib during this temperance crusade.

Early in the fall of 1877 the roller skate made its first appearance in Joplin and a rink was opened in the old Tabernacle, the chairs being carried out during the week and brought back for the Sunday services. One half of the proceeds of the skating rink went to the church. The amusement became very popular and was enjoyed both by old and young.

On December 31, 1877, a skating contest was held, the following persons being entered: E. D. Porter, Mayor P. C. Williams, Wm. Pyle, George (Jood, Frank Bingham, Rev. J. C. Plumb, Marshal Cass Hamilton, Doric Davis and C. W. Qlover.

On October 5, 1877, a fire broke out on the east side of West Main street between Third and Fourth and destroyed the entire block, the loss being estimated at $50,000.00. The fire department responded, but the only good that was accomplished was the saving of other buildings on the opposite side of the street. This fire impressed the city with the necessity for an improvement in the fire service and the department was increased and reorganized ; that is, more men were enlisted in the volun-

The following were the members of the new company : Foreman, P. M. Chinnourth ; first assistant foreman, E. Tschappler ; second assistant foreman, W. J. Rusch.

OflBcers : President, Walter Miller ; secretary, A. 0. Tennis ; treasurer, L. A. Fillmore. The last named man, L. A. Fillmore, was a fire fighter of experience having been a member of the Elsworth famous Fire Zouaves in Chicago, and was from the organization of the volunteer department in 1872 to the day the paid department was established in 1893 a member of the volunteer fire department.

In July, 1879, the Joplin Exposition Company was organized by the leading business men of Joplin and with the following officers : President, S. C. Henderson; vice president, John C. Guinn; secretary, T. A. Mc- Cleland; treasurer, P. Murphy; general superintendent, Isaac N. Lamb. A forty acre tract of land in the southwestern part of the city was purchased and a race track, agricultural hall, grandstand and stables were built. The first fair was held from October 14th to 18th inclusive and was a marked success.

1877 also saw the building of another important industry, the Harmon foundry. This institution was greatly welcomed in Joplin, because it brought to the mining district a plant where the mining machinery and heavy castings used in the mines could be made at home. The next year, William Leckie established the Joplin Machine Works and, in addition to a foundry, put in a complete machine shop and boiler works. These two plants gave Joplin excellent facilities for the making and quick repair of heavy machinery.

The following little sketch of the old Harmon Foundry was written for us by the proprietor; the proprietor of the Joplin foundry was Mr. W. S. Harmon, who came to Joplin in June, 1877, from Vandalia, Illinois, where he had operated a f oundrj'^ for eleven years. * * In coming to Joplin I experienced trouble in getting a location to build a foundry. No land owners wanted to sell what I wanted, one acre, and told me that Joplin was not a manufacturing but a mining town. There was not a manufactory here outside of the lead smelters. I was about to abandon the idea of building a foundry and go to Wichita, Kansas, when I met

Mr. E. R. Moflfet, president of the Lone Elm Mining & Smelting Company, on June 3, 1877. He wanted to know what I was doing about building the foundry. My reply was *I have the building contracted, but no place to put it.' Mr. Moflfet *s reply was: *If that's all you want, select your location and I will give you a lease free for twenty-five years. ' I asked him, *When will you do it?' He said * Tonight. Meet me at the company 's oflSce, Fourth and Main streets, and I will have our attorney, Mr. L. P. Cunningham, draw up the lease.' The lease being made, the first foundry building was commenced July 4, 1877, and the first iron was melted August 15, 1877. The first molders employed were John Prazer ; John Rogers, now of the Rogers foundry ; Lewis Lilley, apprentice ; Robert Whittle, engineer. These men came with me from Vandalia, Illinois. The first patternmaker to work in Joplin was John McGuire.

''The foundry continued in successful operation until April 3, 1880. The White Lead Works were burned April 3, 1880, and this fire destroyed my foundry after I had successfully demonstrated that a foundry could be run here and made to pay. Just as quick as I could count my dollars, I contracted with Mr. Joseph Wooten to build me a store and brick building, one hundred by sixty feet, which was finished and put in operation August 20, 1880. I continued to operate this foundry and machine shop until September 1, 1886, when I leased it to Mr. John Schellenbeck for three years. During the time I operated the foundry I thought I made so much money that I would have to go to California to invest it. I went and returned in time to take my foundry and machine shop back from Mr. John Schellenbeck, and then continued to operate it until September 1, 1893. I then sold it to Messrs. James McKinney and Ross King, and, under their management the property was again destroyed by fire and never rebuilt. ' '

East Joplin - ^At the spring election of 1877 Prof. S. A. Underwood, of the East Joplin school, was elected county school commissioner and was succeeded by James A. Race, who was a scholar of high attainments and whose administration was highly satisfactory. G. W, McKinney was principal of the school in 1878 and Theodore H. Riflfey in 1879.

West Joplin - Prof. J. C. Mason of the Carthage schools was employed as superintendent of the West Joplin schools in the spring of 1877 and at once organized a high school in the Ferguson hall.

For the fall term the Christian church was rented and a canvas partition strung across the center of the church, thus dividing the main audience room into two parts. Professor Mason taught the high school in one end of the church and L. Z. Barr, the Christian minister, taught the seventh and eighth grades in the other end of the room. The Old Brick, the Fourth street frame and the Smelter Hill schools were also used, making a total of eight teachers in the West side school.

the Tabernacle. One thousand people were in attendance. Miss Alma Sergeant, later Mrs. C. Craycroft, read the salutatory address and Jack Dolan, C. B. Revis and others who later became prominent in Joplin life, took part. Before the arranging of a regular high school course of study it was customary for the pupils to go, before the county school commissioner and take the regular teacher's examination, the certificate, if granted, taking the place of a diploma. The first pupils in the Joplin school to take the examination and successfully pass were James R. Thomas and Fannie Paddock.

In 1878 Mrs. Milner established a Young Ladies Seminary and this was largely attended. In 1878 the original two rooms of the old Central building were constructed and Joplin closed out the first decade with five school buildings (in its three districts) and employed fourteen teachers.

The following city officers served Joplin from October, 1877, to October, 1878: Mayor, P. E. Williams; councilmen - C. P. Taylor, C. J. Q. Workizer, I. W. Gilbert, W. H. Kilgore, M. Clark, George Parks, W. L. Cole, E. Rajrner (removed), L. M. Abbott (to fill vacancy) and A. W. Pyle (to fill vacancy caused by resignation of Ira W. Gilbert). Marshal, L. C. Hamilton; police judge, W. B. McAntire; city attorney, John C. Trigg; treasurer, G. W. Alway; clerk, J. P. Newell; collector, T. A. Mc- Clelland; assessor, P. L. Swartz; street commissioner, T. M. Pall.

The election of October, 1877, was a hot one. Sixteen hundred yards of muslin were used for banners and every candidate had from five to a dozen hacks with which to carry the voters to the polls.

A. C. Pyle, the treasurer, was a miner who had met with the misfortune of losing his eyesight by going back on a premature shot, and the boys in sympathy, although blind, elected him treasurer. The Miners' Bank kept the books for him and he drew the salary in the nature of a pension from the boys on the ground.

Officers from October, 1879, to October, 1880 : Mayor, W. E. Maynard ; councilmen, C. P. Taylor (removed), Thomas Connor (elected to fill the vacancy), W. L. Harris, Hugh Dyer, L. Horr, P. J. Cyphert, J. A. Hewitt, L. A. Fillmore and J. E. Guthrey; marshal, L. C. Hamilton; police judge, W. B. McAntire ; city attorney, P. M. Redbum ; treasurer, A. C. Pyle; city clerk, J. P. Newell; collector, P. E. Williams, and street commissioner, T. W. Pall.

The following little story illustrates the tender side of the miner's life and is one of hundreds of pathetic incidents which might be related of early Joplin.

Among the men prominent in the early business life of Joplin was William Watson, who operated a bus and carriage line. During the quiet times of the later 'seventies his business fell off, and although not many people knew it, he was on the verge of financial ruin. For several days prior to Christian of 1879 he had been morose and down-hearted and his old-time friends missed his droll stories and side-splitting jokes. Christmas eve he was standing in front of Billy Teet's saloon and some of the boys asked him why he was so quiet at so merry a time, and he told them of his busines failure. Some one said, ''Bill, why don't you hang up your stocking; maybe Santa will put something in itt" Bill replied that he believed he'd do it. It was a happy thought. A. B. McCarty, Matt Stafford, Kit Carson and a few others hurried out and got half a dozen gunny sacks and, making a large ten-foot stocking hung it in front of the Joplin Hotel and labeled it ''Willie Watson's Stocking." What Bill intended for a joke now became a reality. His old butcher friend, Bill Beal, came by and dropped in the stocking several links of fresh bologna. A grocer came by and catching the spirit left a sack of flour. . A feed man came and dropped by the stocking a couple of bales of hay and a hundred weight of chop. The fever was catching and every man who went by put something in the stocking, or on the ground near by, and Christmas morning Bill Watson took to his bam two wagon loads of feed, groceries and wearing apparel which had been given him, and he used to say that the little bit of a joke tided him over the crisis.

During the 'seventies and the 'eighties there was consederable rivalry between Joplin and Carthage and the papers of each occasionally took a good natured dig at each other. The following little clipping from the News in August, 1878, illustrates the pleasure the papers took in commenting on each other: "A couple of Joplin men went up to the county seat several nights ago, became somewhat hilarious and created an excitement second only to the hanging of Abies. The good old burg of Carthage makes a nine-day wonder over a little affair like the kicking over of a stove, smashing a few chairs, stopping telegraphic communication for a few minutes, and a three-dollar fine in the police court. Wait until the M. & W. opens its heart and gives Joplin an excursion, and then call out the Light Guards."

Webb City, the second city of Jasper county in point of population, like Joplin, had its beginning in the 'seventies and came into existence as a result of the great mining industry. John C. Webb was the founder

Mr. Webb was a native of Tennessee and the second of a large family of children. He was brought up on the farm and received his education in the log schoolhouses of that day. In January, 1849, he married Miss Ruth T. Davis. In 1856 he and his wife came to Jasper county and settled near the head of Turkey creek, the Webb cemetery east of Harmony Grove being on the old home place.

In 1857 he entered two hundred acres of land where the original Webb City was later laid out. At that time, however, Mr. Webb never dreamed that the land for which he paid the government a few hundred dollars would ere long yield him a snug fortune. He gradually added to his original entry until he was, at the begining of Webb City, the owner of half a section.

During the war he served in the Confederate army, responding to Qovemor Jackson's call for volunteers to defend Missouri and entering the southern army at the expiration of his term of service with the State Guard. After the war he returned home and again worked his farm.

In June, 1873, while plowing com, he accidentally turned up a good sized chunk of lead and in the fall, when the crops were in, began prospecting, but with little success on account of the water. The next year he put in his crop as usual and after it was gathered purchased a pump and other necessary machinery and, in the parlance of the miner "beat the water. *' The pump worked to perfection and in a few days the water was out and the shaft drained sufficiently to go in the ground. The second day after he began work in the old shaft a chunk of lead weighing over one thousand pounds was hoisted. From then until now the mining industry has been pushed and today the mines of Webb City have a world-wide reputation.

, In July, 1875, Mr. Webb platted the original town of Webb City. In the original dedication Mr. Webb reserved a block for a church and public school site, the old Central building standing on the block donated by the founder of the city. Webb City grew so rapidly that the next year four additions to the city were platted and in 1877 six more additions were opened to the public. During that year the city had a building boom and at the close of its first five years growth had some two thousand inhabitants - 1,588 within the city limits and from 400 to 600 just outside, but properly a part of the town,

Mr. Webb did not mine the land on which he discovered the first lead, but leased it to a company, and before he died was one of the county's millionaires, made so by the royalties from the mines and the sale of town lots.

G. P. Ashcraft was the first man to sink a shaft on the Center Creek land and also marketed the first carload of ore from the Webb City dis- trict. The following little reminiscence which appeared in the Joplin Daily Globe, Sunday, July 30, 1875, illustrates the important part Mr. Ashcraft played in the early history of Webb City.

In having the man who **windlassed/* cleaned and shipped the first wagonload of ore ever marketed from here, and then within less than forty years witnessing the growth of the mines on that particular bit of ground expand until now over ten million dollars* worth of ore has been shipped from the Center creek mines, probably gave Granville P. Ashcraft, the pioneer who died a few days ago, a much better chance to witness the activities and accomplishments of life than did Methuselah, reputed to have spent more years on earth than any other man on record.

For in these days of modern achievement, the events of a man's life follow each other with such lightening-like rapidity that a single year in the century now passing has become much more than the equivalent of one hundred years in the patriarchal days when that oldest man of ancient history moved along his quiet and uneventful path.

The distinction that came to Mr. Ashcraft, of making the first sale of lead from Webb City, was, however, like many of the events that make history for individuals and communities, more of chance than of design. For the writer well remembers how, in a conversation with this pioneer citizen whose death all Webb City mourns, he recalled how his coming to Webb City, instead of prospecting elsewhere, was very much the whim of a moment.

"It was because I got mad,'* said Mr. Ashcraft, '*over some things about a deal in Oronogo, that I threw up a lease for $50 when, only a few weeks before, I had paid $1,500 for it That was how it happened that I came to Webb City, and have remained here the rest of my life, Instead of working in the original shaft of what afterwards became the Oronogo Circle mines."

Only a few of the older men of Webb City are still living to give their personal recollection of the beginning of the mines in Webb City. Benjamin F. Hatcher, who has been in Jasper county fifty-four years, is one of the few survivors, and he certainly liad as good a chance of knowing as any of the pioneers of the early JO'S, for he was the man who helped pull the water out of that first shaft from which "mineral** was hoisted, and thus assisted In the foundation work of the immense mining industry now so firmly established.

"When Grant Ashcraft came over from Oronogo and undertook to sink the shaft on Center creek, where there had been the first lead find in this district," says Mr. Hatcher, "I started with him to run the pump. My recollection is that it took a relay of seven horses, working each horse for two or three hours at a time, to keep the pump going, and all we had then was literally 'horse power.* It wasn't much of a shaft, as we should think now. It was something less than thirty feet deep, and some lead had been taken out, that was in the dump, but none had been sold. It looked very doubtful about getting any more, as the water was so strong it came out of the top of the hole within a few hours whenever the pump stopped. We kept at it until he got enough out to make several sales of lead, but under great difficulty, and when there was high water there was nothing doing.

"People didn't know much about pumps in those days, not around here, anyway, and I remember that Thomas N. Davey, then and for a long time after in the foundry business at Carthage, devised a new kind of pump that he had hoped would prove adequate to the water proposition, as we should call it now, at Center creek. But it didn't work; and for years there was little else but discouragement as to continuous work, for when the 'pump shaft* was down, none of the numerous prospectors were able to get in the ground. Among those interested in working this shaft in the early days were Ben Webb and John C. Webb, on whose land the discovery was made; Thomas N. I>avey, W. A. Daugherty. S. B. Com, of Joplin. and a practical miner, named Mike Jones, who came here from Oronogo.**

Being the first man to mine and ship lead ore from the locality that afterwards became Webb City was not Grant Asbcrafts only distinction. When he came there was nothing In sight but the log house of John C. Webb, for whom the town was named. By the time Webb City was incorporated in 1875, BIr. Ashcraft had laid the foundation of his fortune to a sufllclent extent to become the purchaser of the largest number of city lots, consisting of the greater part of the block bounded by Daugherty, John, Pennsylvania and Ball streets. At one corner of this tract of the original town site, he buUt the first frame house, adding others on the vacant lots later on, and living in one of them from those early dajrs until within the last couple of years. He was, therefore, the first house-builder and lived on the site of his first choice nearly thirty-five years.

While Mr. Ashcraft was a native of Missouri, being bom In that part ot the original Bates county which afterward became the county of Cass, he spent his early manhood in California, on a ranch belonging to Granville Swift As Swift lived on the next farm to that on which Mr. Ashcraft*s parents resided at the time he was bom, and it was for him he was named Granville, although 90 per cent of his friends knew him all through his life as **Grant."

It was a visit that his brother, Samuel P. Ashcraft, made by stage to Callfomla in 1864, that brought "Grant" back to Missouri. The trip, from start to return, occupied from January 19 until March 4, and no time was lost in the Journey.

*'It was while he was on Swift's ranch in California," says Sam Ashcraft, ''that he acquired his love of horse fiesh that became one of his characteristic hobbies all through life. 'Grant* knew a good horse as well as any man in Jasper oounty, perliapB, and no end of stories could be told q( his venturesome and daredevil exploits.

"One day in the early days of the old 'Red Plant,' a Frisco train was passing when he was on his way to Webb City. He made a bet with the man who was riding with him that he could beat the train to town. No doubt he did his best to win the bet, as was shown by the fact that In his mad race he killed a cow on the roadway and had to pay the owner for the loss of the animal, besides getting unmercifully 'joshed' by his friends for years afterwards.

"One of my brother's characteristics was that he always backed his own judgment, rarely told any one what he intended to do in business matters and never asked advice of anybody. He was a hard man to persuade into anything, but when once he gave his word, everyone Imew that he could be relied upon to do just what he said."

In 1876 Mr. William Toms built a lead furnace on Bens branch between Webb City and Carterville and this was operated until 1880, when it was destroyed by fire.

Webb City had grown to such an extent that during the presidential campaign of 1876 the county court designated it as a voting precinct and at its first election went Democratic, the vote being as follows: Hayes, Republican, 142; Tilden, Democratic, 195; Cooper, Oreenbacker, 4.

day of December the court formally granted the petition and issued a decree to that effect. W. A. Ashcraft, O. Jacobs, James Smith, J. E. McNair and R. A. Sterling were appointed the first board of trustees. The same evening the board was sworn into office and organized by the election of J. E. McNair as president ; I. Brunnin, as clerk ; W. A. Ashcraft, as treasurer, D. H. Thomas, as collector; L. Mark, city marshal, and R. L. Thomas as city attorney. The first ordinance of the city was drafted by Attorney Thomas.

James E. McNair, the first executive officer of Webb City, was a native of North Carolina and of Scotch descent. He was bom December 13, 1833. His father was a Revolutionary patriot, having served in the Continental army during the entire seven years of hostilities. Mr. Mc- Nair's boyhood was spent in the south, having lived in Mississippi and Tennessee before the War between the States. In the spring of '52 he caught the gold fever and started to cross the plains enroute for California. Arriving at Bates county, this state, he became ill and was obliged to leave the party of overland tourists, and remained in that county until 1854 when he had regained his health. Still determined to go to the gold fields, he hired to Henry Riggs as a cowboy and crossed the plains that summer, helping to drive a herd of cattle to Sacramento. He returned to Tennessee in 1859 and began the study of medicine.

Mr. McNair had been brought up an Andrew Jackson Democrat, but when Fort Sumter was fired upon he cast his lot with the north and enlisted in the First West Tennessee U. S. Volunteers. On account of sickness he was discharged from the service in the fall of 1864 and the next year was elected a member of the legislature of Tennessee. In 1865 he was elected a delegate to the Southern Loyalists convention which met in Philadelphia, and there urged the extending of the right hand of fellowship to the defeated states. During the war he was married to Miss Patience Flippen, a charming Tennessee belle.

In 1869 he came to Missouri and worked for the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway in the capacity of a bridge carpenter, coming to Oronogo in that railway's employ in 1874. In 1875, when John C. Webb laid out the town of Webb City, Mr. McNair came to the place which then was only represented by the surveyor's pegs in the ground, and built for Mr. Webb the first house. On January 13, 1877, after having served the city as mayor for one month and two days, Mr. McNair was appointed postmaster of Webb City, which office had just been established, and resigned his position as a member of the board of trustees. F. Ball was appointed trustee to fill the vacancy and (vice Chairman James Smith) filled out the remainder of the term as president of the board. During the administration of Messrs. McNair and Smith order was established and the preliminaries of the founding of a city government gone through with.

The new board organized by electing George H. 8mitl\, chairman; D. H. Endrickson, city clerk; Charles Mv;tcalf, treasurer; David Carant, marshal, and William H. Metheny, city attorney. Mr. Metheny resigned before the expiration of his term and L. A. Thomas, the first attorney, was appointed to fill out his unexpired term.

On the 28th day of February, 1878, the town voted on a proposition to incorporate as a city of the fourth class and the proposition carried by a majority of three votes. At the regular city election in April, 1878, the following officers were elected: Mayor, Ben C. Webb; aldermen, H. L. Shafer, J. M. Whitworth, A. J. Sinclair and A. F. Scott; marshal, David Currant.

The appointive officers were Charles Metcalf, treasurer; J. C. Columbia, collector; S. D. McPherson, attorney. Before the end of the year Mr. Metcalf resigned as city clerk and J. E. McNair, the first Elm board of trustees, was appointed. At the election in 1879 Mr. Webb was reelected mayor and the following gentlemen served as aldermen : Waller Tholborn, R. S. Gaston, D. J.. Horn and M. Worden.

John W. Vermillion succeeded Mr. Currian as marshal. The appointive officers were the same as in 1878, save the collector, J. W. Caldwell, who succeeded Mr. Columbia.

The first city council, or rather board of trustees, planned great things, among which were the thorough policing of the town and the improvement of the streets. On account of the many needed improvements, the young town levied a tax which was slightly in excess of the constitutional limit. The city taxes could not be levied and collected until the regular time of assessment, in the meantime anticipating returns from the tax levy, policemen were hired and they, with other help were paid in city warrants. When the time came for collecting the tax the levy was contested by some of the people and, at the trial, declared by the court to be illegal. As a result the city government did not receive the anticipated revenue for 1877 and 1878. City warrants went down to fifty cents on the dollar and the wheels of government for a time were almost stopped. It was then that the proposition was submitted to organize as a corporation of the fourth class, which would allow the levy necessary to carry on the business of the city. The proposition carried by three majority and in 1879, and the city collected its taxes for the first time.

Pelt, who with their good w.. organized a union Sunday school at Webb's Hall in the latter part hd^ 1876. The school from the first day was a success, not only in pointlof number, but in the interest manifested. W. A. Wheatley was its superintendent.

The attendance grew so rapidly that it was necessary to secure a larger place of meeting and permission was given to use the new schoolhouse that recently had been completed. And here the work was carried on during 1877-8. At the time the Sunday school moved to the schoolhouse it numbered over two hundred regular attendants, the primary class, in charge of Mrs. W. A. Wheatley, containing forty-two little tots.

The matter of organizing a church was now agitated and from this union Sunday school grew later the First Presbyterian church of Webb City, which was organized March 27, 1877, with eight members. Messrs. Wheatley, Manker and Van Pelt, who had taken the initiative in the - organization of the Sunday school, were elected the first session of the new church.

During the remaining 'seventies, the church did not have a regular pastor, but the Rev. D. K. Campbell, of Joplin, preached to the congregation, which grew slowly but surely, every Sunday afternoon, until after he closed his ministerial work in Joplin. In 1879 the society, which now had grown to twenty-six, purchased a building on Allen street which had been erected for a saloon, fitted it up for a church and there worshiped until the latter 'eighties.

During the pioneer days of Webb City the church exerted a great influence. Its choir - ^the famous Stevenson- Wheatley quartette, consisting of W. A. Wheatley and wife and Prof. J. M. Stevenson and wife - ^won great distinction, singing at all of the principal gatherings over the county. In April, 1879, the Ozark Presbyterians met in the Webb City church. One other little incident might be mentioned which shows the influence that the church exerted on the community.

During the winter of 1877-8 there was a great amount of sickness in Webb City, due partly to the inclemency of the weather and partly to the lack of proper shelter, and quite a number died of pneumonia. Mrs. Wheatley and Mrs. Hull, both active workers in the church, were ministering angels who went out and helped care for the afficted. Many a when death entered the home of a friend they came and, with loving hands, helped prepare the body for burial. Thus, as they performed these kindly acts of love and tenderness, they reflected credit on the church, whose deaconesses they were.

The Webb City School district was organized in 1876 and a substantial four-room frame schoolhouse was built during the winter of 1876-7 on the site of the old Central High School building.

Prof. Dickey, late of the Carthage schools, was the first principal, did a good work of organization and remained in charge of the school to the close of the 'seventies.

A few weeks after the city government of Webb City had been organized the town experienced an excitement, which, for a day, resembled a western cowboy raid. On January 25, 1877, James Missick of Carterville came over to Webb City and, having imbibed too freely, became hilarious and was placed in jail by Marshal Marks and his deputy. Hearing of his incarceration a party of his friends came over to Webb City and attempted to take Missick from jail, but did not succeed. Later, however, bail was procured and the party returned to Carterville. The next morning four of the friends of Missick came over to Webb City, bent on raiding the town, but nothing was done save to hang around the saloons and threaten the mayor and police. That afternoon the party returned, this time having been reinforced to seven, and galloped through the streets at fnll-speed, firing promiscuously at i)eople on the thoroughfares. Uriah Pishbum, **Monkeywrench" Jones and several others were shot, but none of them were killed and a horse was shot from under one of the raiders by the marshal. The marshal then rode to Oronogo and telegraphed to Sheriflf Beamer for help and in the evening the sheriff, with two hack-loads of special deputies, came to Webb City for the purpose of restoring order. Their presence was not needed, however, as the raiders had departed. A number of persons were arrested for complicity in the affair, but no convictions were ever made. . Two of the raiders, who could not give bonds, were taken to Carthage and placed in the county jail and while they were confined there, at a time when all the deputies were away excepting the jailer, they overpowered him, escaped and were never retaken.

George Hudson, one of the gang, gave bonds for his appearance and was discharged for want of evidence. The strangeness of fate, which allowed him to go unpunished, was as follows. Uriah Fishbum had been shot by Hudson during the raid and he was the principal witness for the state. On the morning of the trial, before going to the court room, Mr. Fishbum went out to his mine to give directions for the day, and while showing one of the miners how to do a certain piece of work was caught in a large wheel in the machinery at the plant and instantly killed. When the trial came on, there was no witness for the state and the case was dismissed.

Webb City and Carterville are often spoken of as the Twin Cities and very properly so, for they both came into existence the same year; both are sustained by the same great industry and^ except to those who are familiar with the dividing line between the two towns, it is hard to tell just where Webb City ends and Carterville begins; for Ben's branch, which is between the two towns, wends its way in its meanderings first one side and then the other of the imaginary line which divides the two municipalities.

The land on which the original town of Carterville was built belonged to a farmer named Carter, who was a neighbor of Mr. Jno. C. Webb and who, with him, tilled the soil during the early 'seventies.

The first business and mining activities in Carterville were commenced by W. A. Daugherty, and to him, perhaps more than any other men, belongs the credit of developing the mines of the Carterville district during the early days of the town, where pluck and perseverance were required to make good.

As related in our Webb City story, the first discovery of lead in the Webb City-Carterville district was made by John C. Webb and in the valley which lies between the two towns.

The chunk of lead which Mr. Webb ploughed up was taken by him to W. A. Daugherty for inspection. That gentleman pronounced it lead and, at Mr. Webb's request, entered into a partnership with him to sink a shaft and develop the land.

The task of ** beating the water" was the great problem. Frequently, on coming to work in the morning, they would find the shaft filled with water almost to the top, so near, in fact, that it could be dipped out with a bucket. After a pump was secured and the ground well drained, they began the work of cribbing the shaft. In sinking the shaft to a considerable depth they struck no lead, excepting to pass through a strata of the ore not more than an inch thick. Mr. Webb was somewhat discouraged and sold his interest to Q. P. Ashcraft.

When Messrs. Daugherty and Webb were cribbing the shaft, at the place where they had passed through the strata of lead Mr. Daugherty took a hatchet and cut three crosses in the cribbing to mark the spot.

When Mr. Ashcraft bought Mr. Webb's interest he inquired of Mr. Daugherty what signs of mineral he had noticed other than the chunk which Mr. Webb had ploughed up, and, on being told of the small vein which they had passed through, asked Mr. Daugherty to lower him in the tub to the place where the crosses were cut.

Mr. Ashcraft, who was an experienced miner, took out a piece of the cribbing and, after first making a sort of a doorway in it drilled three or four holes in the side of the shaft and put in a charge of powder and a fuse. Before touching oflf the shot, however, a temporary platform was built just below the drill holes. The fuse was lighted and Mr. Ashcraft told Mr. Daugherty to **hist away." Scarcelv had he reached the top of the shaft when the charge exploded^ throwing lead and rocks in all directions. When the smoke had cleared away Mr. Ashcraft descended the shaft and, finding the platform literally covered with great chunks of lead, called Mr. Daugherty to see the sight. This shot opened up an entrance to a cave-like pocket which was almost a solid mass of lead. This was the beginning of the mining activities; the miners who first came to work the ground, settled on the land just east of the mines, and naturally the place was called Carterville.

Mr. Daugherty secured land from Mr. Carter and platted a town, the field notes and plat being filed for record September 10, 1875. He also built the first store in Carterville. Two additions to the place were laid out in the spring of 1876, and by the close of the Centennial year the town numbered fully five hundred inhabitants.

In the spring of 1876 the Rev. Jasper A. Smith, a Methodist minister, came to Carterville and organized the first Methodist church. The church met in a rented hall until 1882, when a lot was secured on Daugherty street and a church home commenced. On May 13, 1883, just as the building was nearing completion, it was demolished by a tornado. Three days later, however, the congregation met and laid plans for the rebuilding of the church, which was completed toward the close of the year.

In the spring of 1877 the citizens petitioned the county court to incorporate the town of Carterville as a municipality. The first board of trustees comprised J. A. Wilson, W. A. Daugherty, Joseph Manlove, A. N. McReynolds and J. O. Rose. The board was organized April 17, 1877, with J. A. Wilson as chairman and J. R. Bailey, clerk. J. S. Wilson was appointed marshal, E. S. Carries, treasurer, and Joseph Fountain, city attorney.

After organizing the city government quite a number of people thought that the municipality was an unnecessary expense and the board of trustees did not meet again from September 6, 1877, until April, 1882, when the municipality was reorganized.

Oronogo continued to grow during the 'seventies. On August 4, 1873, a single chunk of lead was uncovered only eight feet below the surface. It weighed 60,000 pounds, and sold for $5,000 making the two lucky miners rich in a day.

On November 13th of this same year Alfred T. Oran was lynched b}' a mob of masked men. He had attempted to rob the house of a man named Hunter and was suspected of having committed a number of lawless acts in and around Oronogo.

During the same year the Masonic fraternity of Oronogo celebrated St. John's Day, June 24th, and a picnic and ceremonial was held in the grove. D. M. Whitworth, C. E. Elliott and J. W. Board were in charge of the exercises and every detail was carried out in a manner that reflected great credit on the committee.

Beside the founding of Joplin, Webb City and Carterville, five other towns also sprang into existence - ^Midway, later called Jasper; Scotland, Carl Junction, Waco and Alba.

Midway was so called because it was midway between Carthage and Lamar. Scotland, eight miles east of Joplin was named in honor of Rev. Scott, who lived on the land where lead was first struck. During the middle seventies Scotland had upwards of 500 people and three lead smelters were in operation.

Carl Junction and Waco came with the building of the Joplin and Oirard Railway. Carl Junction was founded by Charles Carl and, being at the crossing of the 'Frisco and Joplin & Oirard, was called Carl Junction.

Alba situated on Spring River four miles northeast of Orongo was a Quaker settlement and at first distinctively a farming community. A more extended mention of Carl Junction and Alba will be made in our later chapters, when these places came into greater prominence.

Joplln City In Galena and Joplin townthipt, 7,088. -Including Webb City. 1,688. --Including Carthage. 4,167. ---Including Oronogo. 700. ----Including Sarcoxie. 841.