Jasper County, Missouri - Chapter 42: General Joplin Matters, 1912

Extension op City Limits - City Census in 1905-10 - The City Park System - East Joplin Improvement Association - Joplin's Fire Department - Municipal Officers, 1900-11 - Joplin as a Con^ven- TiON City - Republican State Convention, 1902 - Democratic State Convention, 1904 - New^spapers - Railroads and New U>noN Depot - The Heim Street Car Line.

During the past ten years Joplin has taken many forward strides in the matter of municipal advancement. It has voted a p>ermanent tax for the support of a free public library, built a new and commodious (rity hall, enlarged its electric light plant and built a viaduct over the Kansas City Southern Railway tracks on Third street. It has paved many miles of streets and caused to be laid over fifty miles of sidewalks. Many matters of civic improvements are still fresh in the minds of the people and for the lack of space we will not attempt to set them all down at length. We will, however, mention a few of the most important municipal improvements which had much to do in shaping the destinies of the city or adding materially to the happiness and comfort of the people.

In 1900 there sprang up west of the city a new camp which came into great prominence and, like Blendville on the south, grew with such rapidity that it became necessary to establish some form of local government. The new camp was called Chitwood and at first grew up among the mining properties of L. P. Cunningham and the King Jack and John Jackson mines. It took its name from a Chitwood Hollow.

Chitwood was incorporated as a village and for a time maintained a city government and its schools attained a state of great excellence. In 1908 the city limits were extended to the west, so that Chitwood was taken into the city of Joplin and is now the eighth ward of the city and at this same election Villa Heights, on the east, was taken into the city and is the east district of the first ward.

A special census of Joplin, taken in January, 1905, showed that the city had a population of 31,582. The United States census of 1910 showed the population to be 32,073.

The estimated population of Joplin at this writing, based on the school census taken in 1911, which showed a great increase over 1910, is 35,000.

The park system of Joplin had its origin in 1897, when T. W. Cunningham, then mayor of Joplin, gave to the city Cunningham Grove, south of Blendville. This beautiful grove was greatly used by the citizens for picnics and celebrations, and it was Mr. Cunningham's idea to preserve the grove so that the people of the city might have some place in the city limits for gatherings of this kind.

The city at the time had no fund available with which to improve the park, and in 1903, City Attorney P. D. Decker secured the passage of a bill through the legislature authorizing the city, by a vote of the people, to levy a tax for park purposes. The matter was submitted to the people at the general election of 1904 and carried.

View in Cunningham Park, Joplin Mayor Cunningham, who had again been called to the chair in 1903, appointed the following gentlemen as a board of park directors: C. H. Hand, first ward ; H. R. Conkling, second ward ; P. A. Christman, third ward; Chas. Schifferdecker, fourth ward; Boone Jenkins, fifth ward; J. A. Graves, sixth ward; W. H. Landreth, seventh ward, and Chris Guengerich and Joel T. Livingston, members at large. The board organized, with P. A. Christman, president; H. R. Conkling, vice president; and Joel T. Livingston, secretary. The board has remained unchanged since its organization, excepting in the person of C. H. Hand, who died in 1907 and was succeeded by his son, Leon H., and he in 1909, by George Linwiek. Mr. Conkling removed from the city in 1909 and was succeeded by W. A. Sanford. Charles Schiflferdecker asked to retire from the board, on account of his many private interests, and was succeeded by T. T. Snapp, who filled out his unexpired term and was succeeded by Senator J. T. Dunwoody. Mr. Landreth retired at his own request and was succeeded by J. M. Leonard. Chris Guengerich has been the president of the park commission since 1909.

In addition to the Cunningham Park, which has been greatly beautified, the city has acquired Mineral Park, in East Joplin, and Mc- Clelland Park, south of the city near Grand Falls, and has also used, through the courtesy of the Scottish Rite Masons, a small vacant plot at Fourth and Byers. All of these places have been made very beautiful and have been much used. M. F. Keith and R. P. Brown, superintendent and assistant superintendent of parks, have worked untiringly for a more beautiful Joplin and deserve the thanks of the city.

In 1893 there was organized in East Joplin a club which has had a great influence on the destinies of the First ward and, largely on account of the agitation started by it, has in the past nine years greatly improved the appearance of this section of the city. The first officers of the club were W. M. Marshall, president, Robert Moore, vice president, A. C. Elliff, secretary.

This club set about to beautify East Joplin and during the years that the club has been in existence something like ten miles of streets have been graded, over six miles of sidewalks have been built and a beautiful park has been added to the ward. Recently, the club has undertaken the proposition of enlarging Mineral Park by extending it west through St. Joe Hollow and south on the east side of Joplin creek to Broadway. This work, if accomplished, will make a beautiful place out of what is now an unsightly spot. Within the bounds of the proposed extension to Mineral Park is the spot where E. R. Moffet and John B. Sergeant sunk the first shaft in the Joplin district; and it is proposed on this site to erect a monument to be made of specimens taken from the mines all over the Joplin district.

From the time of the organization of the old volunteer fire department down to this day, the citizens of Joplin have tried to keep this organization out of politics and it is freer from political influences than any other department of the city. Among the fire laddies, sterling worth, chivalric deeds and unquestioned bravery is the *'pull" which carries them to pubUc favor and places of responsibility.

The Joplin fire department as at present organized is composed of a chief, assistant chief and one hose and hook and ladder company for each of the three fire districts.

Joplin has the distinction of having introduced the automobile firefighting apparatus, having been the first city in the world, so far as we are able to ascertain, to purchase an automobile fire hose and hook and ladder truck.

The idea of using the automobile as a means of transporting the fire-fighting equipment originated with Albert Webb, of Joplin, who operated an automobile livery just across the street from the Central fire department. Mr. Webb, as an experiment, induced the city to place a chemical tank and a section of small hose on an automobile and when an alarm of fire was turned in he, with the chief, went to the fire. In nine cases out of ten, they put out the fire before it had gained much headway and, in some instances, were ready to return when the hose company, which was drawn by horses, arrived on the scene.

The worth of such a fire-fighting apparatus was apparent to every one and the city contracted with Mr. Webb for a hose truck - and later purchased complete equipments for the three companies; also an aerial ladder truck for the Central department. The aerial truck is drawn by horses, being so large that the ordinary ''auto" is too smalL

City Council - ^H. B. Crossman, Lee Campbell, R. A. Loonus, J. M. Evans, C. W. McAbb, A. P. Donnan, Ralph Danford, Prank Pelix, J. A. Brookshire and Benj. M. Stevens.

Council - Lee Campbell, D. P. Hinds, J. M. Evans, S. T. Davis, A. P. Donnan, T. C. Malloy, Prank Pelix, Matthew George, Benj. M. Stevens and M. A. Baylis.

City Council - Lee Campbell, A. F. Davis, Geo. H. Redell, L. B. Cook, W. H. Houts, A. A. HaU, D. F. Hinds, Jesse Zook, W. E. Morgan, G. W. Burgess, Henry Kost and E. E. Warren.

1905: Mayor, C. A. Lyon; city marshal, J. H. Myers; police judge, Byron Bourne; city attorney, E. F. Cameron; collector, H. W. Nash; treasurer, J. A. Becker; assessor, Charles M. Miles; clerk, E. C. H. Squire; street commissioner, E. 0. Moats; engineer, W. W. Van Frank; fire chief, Frank Zellars; health officer, Dr. L. I. Matthews; counselor, Geo. J. Grayston.

1906 : Mayor, C. W. Lyon ; city marshall, J. H. Myers ; police judge, B3rron Bourne ; city attorney, E. F. Cameron ; city collector, H. W. Nash ; city treasurer, J. A. Becker; city assessor, C. M. Miles; city clerk, Hiram Phillips; street commissioner, Walter F. Jones; engineer, W. W. Van Frank; fire chief, Frank Zellars ; health officer. Dr. Leon F. Hurwitz; counselor, A. C. Burnett.

1907 : Mayor, J. F. Osbom ; city marshal, J. H. Myers ; police judge, Byron Bourne ; city attorney, Clark Nichols ; city collector, H. W. Nash ; city treasurer, J. A. Becker; city assessor, S. S. Nix; city clerk, Hy Phillips; street commissioner, Andy Ferrick; engineer, Wm. Kohlman; fire chief, J. C. Sigers ; health officer. Dr. F. E. Rohan ; counselor, John J, Wolfe ; police matron, Mrs. EUen Ayers.

1908: Mayor, J. F. Osborne; city marshal, J. H. Myers; police judge, Byron Bourne; city attorney, Clark Nichols; city collector, H. W. Nash; city treasurer, J. A. Becker; city assessor, S. S. Nix; city clerk, Hiram Phillips; street commissioner, Andy Ferrick; engineer, J. B. Hodgdon; fire chief, Frank Chandler; health officer. Dr. F. E. Rohan; counselor, J. J. Wolfe; police matron, Mrs. Ayers.

1909: Mayor, Guy T. Humes; city marshal, J. A. McManamy; police judge, Fred W. Kelsey; city attorney, T. C. Hendricks; city collector, H. W. Nash; city treasurer, J. A. Becker; city assessor, S. S. Nix; city clerk, 0. E. Lichliter; street commissioner, W. S. Brown; engineer, J. B. Hodgdon; fire chief, Robert Pearson; health officer, Dr. D. R. Hill ; counselor, Mercer Arnold ; police matron, Mrs. Ellen Ayers.

During the last decade Joplin has gained an enviable reputation as a convention city and has entertained, with great credit to her citizens.

twenty or more large gatherings, having a state or national character. In all of these assemblages, whether of a political, fraternal, business or social nature, the citizens have joined in helping to extend the glad hand to the city's guests. We chronicle here a dozen of these great gatherings, to the end that the reader may get an idea of the variety and magnitude of the conventions that have been entertained and the manner in which they have been cared for.

The State Judicial Convention met in Joplin July 15-16, 1902, and was the first state convention of either of the great political parties which had honored Joplin by selecting it as its meeting place. The convention brought to the city more than 3,000 visitors, among them many distinguished members of the party from other states.

The Joplin Club appointed a non-partisan committee of 150 to arrange the details of this convention and to entertain the visitors and, irrespective of politics, every one of the hundred and fifty, half of whom were Democrats, did their part well.

The committee organized by electing John R. Holmes as chairman, and Hugh Mclndoo, secretary. It being apparent that the hotels would not house the big throng, the citizens generally threw open their homes and placed them at the disposal of the committee on entertainment.

At that time Joplin did not have a hall large enough to hold the convention. The Club Theatre was being remodeled and an immense tent was ordered from a firm in Kansas City and erected at the comer of Fourth and Pearl, where later the Elks club house was built. This proved to be a most delightful arrangement, for the sides of the big tent were let down and the gentle summer breezes swept over the audience and helped to keep them cool.

The convention was called to order by Hon. T. J. Akins, chairman of the Republican state executive committee, and after Rev. J. B. Welty of the First Presbyterian church, had asked the divine guidance on the convention, lion. B. F. Russel was announced as temporary chairman. Mayor John C. Trigg extended to the delegates the hospitality of the city and referred feelingly to the fact that, although we might differ in our political views, yet we were all Americana.

After the appointment of the usual committees on credentials, platform, etc., Senator J. R. Burton, of Kansas, was called to the stand and made an eloquent address on the principles of Republicanism. Major William Warner, of Kansas City, and later United States Senator, and we might add perhaps as popular a speaker as ever appeared before a political convention, was called to the stand and made one of his characteristic speeches that set the audience wild with enthusiasm. Hon. Herbert Hadley, of Kansas City, now governor of the state, was also among the speakers and was loudly applauded.

local reception committee. The Joplin Club, the Elks, the Eagles and Young Men's Christian Association kept open house and entertained with a lavish hand.

Two years later the Democratic Sub-National Convention was held in Joplin, June 29-30, 1904, and, like the Republican convention of two years before, brought to the city the Democratic hosts from all over the state. The Democratic was slightly larger than the Republican convention, having about 100 more delegates and brought a few more rooters, for the reason that, as the convention was to select the delegates to the presidential nominating convention, its action in a way helped to mold the destinies of the party at large - ^that is, as far as Missouri's influence went.

As before, the Joplin Club put itself behind the matter of entertainment and appointed a non-political committee of one hundred and fifty to arrange the details of the convention. The committee organized by the selection of Hugh Mclndoo, who had been the secretary of the committee on arrangements for the Republican convention in 1902, as chairman. C. S. Poole was named as vice chairman and Prank L. Yale, secretary. Sub-committees on general arrangements, reception and finance and a bureau of information were appointed and $1,200 raised to take care of the incidential expenses of the meeting.

The convention was held in the Club Theater, which had been enlarged and remodeled. Hon. W. A. Rothwell, chairman of the Democratic state executive committee, called the meeting to order and announced James A. Reed, of Kansas City (now United States Senator), as the temporary chairman. One of the pleasing features of the opening exercises was a splendidly rendered musical number by the Masonic quartette. Congressman John B. Lloyd was selected as permanent chairman. After the organization meeting, and while the committees were in session, the delegates not engaged in committee work, together with a large number of visitors, went to Barbee Park, where a number of addresses were made on the issues of the day. Hon. W. A. Wallace, of Kansas City, and Hon. Champ Clark, now speaker of the House of Representatives, were the principal speakers.

The city was profusely decorated for the occasion and at night, when the delegates mingled on the streets with the great crowd of people who came in from the surrounding camps to see and participate in the excitement, the scene of the surging mass of humanity was one long to be remembered.

As at the former convention, the Joplin Club, Elks, Eagles, and Young Men's Christian Association threw open their doors and helped to do the honors. It was really a novel, and likewise a pleasing sight to see men like Hugh Mclndoo, John Wise, 0. D. Royse, Arthur Spencer and Jack Winters, stalwart Republicans, - marching with the reception committee in the line alongside of old-time Democrats - ^meeting the trains, showing the delegates to hotels and about the city to places of interest, and taking the same pride in sustaining the reputation of the *'city that Jack built" as they did at their own convention.

The Joplin Democratic convention of 1904 instructed its thirty-six delegates to the national convention to vote for Senator F. M. Cockrell for the presidency.

The history of Joplin during the last decade would not be complete without a mention of its newspapers. In 1901 the Evening Ncivs and the Daily Herald were consolidated and the publication has since been issued under the name of Joplin News-Herald,

The JopUn Daily Globe, the founding of which was mentioned in our section of the 'nineties, made rapid strides in the matter of circulation and has grown to be one of the great dailies of the southwest. Special mention of these two papers made in Volume II, the historic data being furnished by members of their editorial staffs, and for this reason we omit further comment here, other than to say that the two papers have wielded great influence in the upbuilding of Joplin, each having a very large circulation.

In 1901 a new paper was started, known as the Evening Times, and published by W. G. Hicks until 1911, when he disposed of his interests and retired from the newspaper field. Although the circulation of the Times was not as large as the other papers, it was well edited and contained many newsy paragraphs.

In 1911 Gilbert Barbee and Dan F. Dugan, formerly of the (llobe Publishing Company, together with T. W. Cunningham, S. H. Claycomb and others, organized a newspaper corporation and started the Joplin Daily Tribune, the first issue appearing October 14, 1911. L. C. McCam, one of the original founders of the Globe, became managing editor of the paper and Dr. E. C. H. Squires, formerly city clerk and a writer of ability, telegraphic editor. At this writing the paper has built up a large circulation, having passed the 10,000 mark.

During the past ten years two new roads have entered Joplin, to-wit, the Missouri, Kansas & Texas and Missouri & North Arkansas - and the Missouri Pacific has extended its line to Granby and into Arkansas, via Carthage, along the White river. Three of these roads - to-wit, Kansas City Southern, Missouri & North Arkansas and the Santa Fe (which has a road projected into Joplin) joined in the building of a Union station which secured a franchise from the city under the name of the l^nion Station Company. The new Union depot is huilt north of Broadway and east of Maine street, on the site where the first smelter was erected m 1871, and it was a queer coincident that almost forty years to a day

Says the Popular Mechanics for January, 1912: A striking example of what may be done with the waste of zinc and lead mines has been demonstrated in the construction of the new union station at Joplin, Missouri, the concrete of which is largely made up of flint and limestone tailings taken from the waste piles of the mines in the district. Of the twenty-two parts in the concrete mixture used in constructing the station, fifteen parts came from the mines, ten parts being average tailings, and five parts the fine tailings from the sand jigs, called Chit wood sand. Of the remaining seven parts, three were of river sand and four of cement.

The center portion of the station, built in the old Roman type of architecture, is two stories high. The train sheds and platforms cover 25,000 square feet.

The 'Frisco system have let a contract for the building of an eight story depot and office building, at the comer of Sixth and Main, and should no unforeseen obstacle prevent the carrying out of their plans, this great system will also have a passenger station proportionate to the business it transacts and in keeping with Joplin 's enterprise and development.

In 1903 representatives of the Heim interests at Kansas City and F. C. Rollins, of Chanute, Kansas, both asked for a franchise on West Fourth street looking to the building of an electric railway into Kansas. Mr. Heim proposed to build a road from Joplin to Pittsburg and to connect and operate it in conjunction with his suburban lines running from Pittsburg to the neighboring mining camps. Mr. Rollins proposed to build from Joplin to Galena and thence west into the oil and gas belt. The people wanted both roads, but as each desired Fourth street for its terminal it was necessary to choose between the two. After much heated discussion in the council and after several largely attended public meetings at which the people discussed the two propositions, pro and con, a franchise was granted to the Joplin & Pittsburg Electric Railway and the line was in due time built, the first cars running into Joplin in 1907.

In the franchise granted the Heim line a provision was made for the building of several lines into South Joplin, but owing to an injunction gotten out by the Missouri Pacific Railroad prohibiting the electric line from crossing its tracks at Joplin street and Tenth the line has not been extended south as originally intended.