Saline County, Missouri - Chapter 21: Historical Events, from 1880 to I9oo, 1910

Saline county was without a court house in 1880, the necessity of which was apparent to most people, yet a proposition to vote bonds to furnish the money necessary to build one had been submitted to the people and defeated.

In February, 1881, a second proposition to vote fifty thousand dollars of bonds for the building of a court house was again defeated by a slight majority, two-thirds of the total vote being necessary to authorize the issue of the bonds. This was the second attempt to get the proper authority to build a court house, and the large gain over the former vote in favor of the proposition was encouraging to its friends. The matter was considered so imperative and important that the grand jury in March of the same year recommended the ordering of another election.

On the 3d of April the court house that had been declared unsafe some time before and been vacated by the county officials, took fire and burned down. The building was considered in such an unsafe condition that the firemen were afraid to enter it. In fact very few people wanted to see the fire extinguished and no great effort was made to put it out.

During the summer of 1881 a i)roposition was made to call a county convention of delegates from each township to consider the matter of providing the means of building a new court house, and such a convention convened in August, or September. This convention took up the matter of the amount that ought to be applied to the building of a new court house. This convention of delegates eventually agreed upon the sum of fifty-one thousand eight hundred dollars as being the proper sum to be expended in building a new count}^ court house. This proposition was submitted to the people on the I St of October, 1881, and was carried by a large majority.

January 9, 1882, the plans of various architects for said court house were submitted to the county court. The plans and estimates of J. C. Cochran, of Chicago, were accepted and adopted by the county court. The bonds authorized were issued and sold May, i, 1882, to the Wood & Huston Bank at one and one-sixteenth per cent, premium, and on the 2d day of March the contract for the construction of the building was awarded to John Volk & Company, of Rock Island, Illinois, their bid being fifty-one thousand seven hundred sixty-two dollars. The court house is one hundred and ten feet in width east and west, ninety-eight feet north and south. From the basement to the top of the flag staff on the cupola is one hundred and seventy-one feet, the height of the cupola from the roof being one hundred feet.

The county officials elected in 1882 were Vincent Marmaduke and James Baskin, representatives; John W. Sparks, presiding judge of the county court; James R. Davis and Robert Smith, associate judges; George W. Lankford, circuit clerk; Robert McMahan, county clerk; J. P. Wagner, probate judge; James Cooney, prosecuting attorney; R. W. Hickman, sheriff; John C. Lamkin, collector; M. C. Sandidge, recorder; John P. Martin, treasurer; Wilham H. Huston, assessor, and George W. Latimer, surveyor. Most of these officials were re-elected in 1884.

On Thursday, November 3, 1881, a very destructive fire occurred in Marshall, in which the flouring mill and carding works of Menager & Kaynor were destroyed. The mill was a large and well appointed structure with all the appliances for making the very best flour, having a wool-carding department attached.

On Tuesday, April 18, 1882, a fearful cyclone struck the town of Brownsville in the afternoon. Entering the town from the southwest, it pursued a triumphal march through the valley below and along the whole business portion of the new town, lying along the railroad, leaving the whole of that part of the place a wreck, a mass of brick and mortar, except for a few stores, which w^ere badly scarred and dismantled. The town was torn all to pieces, the streets being filled with debris until they were impassable. The followingpeople were killed : James Miller, Richard Ferguson, Al Scruggs, Claude Meyer, Thomas White. Edwin F. Arthurs, from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania ; George C. Payne and Mat Williams. The injured were : W. H. Steers. C. M. Kelly, Perry Wilson. Henry Alilf and wife, Jesse E. H. Jackson, and R. C. Hickman, candidate for sheriff. Damage to property was very great and the wind played unusual freaks and great havoc with the stores.

In June, 1883, the Missouri river overflowed its banks, causing great destruction to people and property living in the bottom lands. On June 25th the flood reached its highest, being twenty-three feet and seven inches above low water.

On April 14, 1884, a fire broke out in what is now known as the Lowenstein block in Marshall, burning down six business houses and two saloons.

The county officers elected in 1886 were as follows: Presiding judge of the county court, Lee H. Tucker; county clerk, Hiram Ferril ; collector, John C. Lamkin ; recorder, M. C. Sandidge ; treasurer, Lee Hughes; circuit clerk, Mat W. Hall; sheriff, J. P. Elliott; probate judge, J. P. Wagner; assessor, James H. Irvine; representatives, F. P. Sebree, of Marshall, and Charles B. Buckner, of Sweet Springs; county judges, Abram Neff and John W. Winning; Alf Rector, prosecuting attorney.

On August 30, 1886, the ex-Confederates of the state held a reunion at Marshall. The reunion committee was Dr. J. B. Wood, J. T. Weller, R. H. Willis, Dr. M. A. Brown, G. M. Francisco, L. H. Tucker, Charles Irvine and Hiram Ferril. President Mclntyre, of the Ex-Confederate Association, was here and presided over the meeting. The meeting was largely attended by ex-Confederates from various portions of the state.

Talk about the Missouri Pacific railroad started in December, 1886. Henry McLaughlin, chief engineer. Col. T. W. B. Crews, right-of-way lawyer, and Bagnell Brothers, contractors, were preparing for work. The Missouri Pacific was surveyed and the line located in the winter of 1886 and 1887. The work began in the spring of 1887 and was finished during the season ending in the fall, 1887. It was found necessary to offer a special inducement to induce the company to extend the road to the town of Marshall.

In 1885, Monday, March 24th, the first fire wagon made its appearance in Marshall. Being driven about by J. W. Robertson, it created no little curiosity and excitement as it dashed through the streets.

The Ridge Park Cemetery Association was organized and incorporated August 17, 1885. Benjamin R. Rodger, landscape gardener and engineer, of Louisville, Kentucky, surveyed and platted it.

In the presidential election of 1884, the Saline county vote for Cleveland was four thousand forty ; Blaine two thousand five hundred seventy-nine.

C. G. Page was the commissioner appointed by the county court to superintend the construction of the new court house, and the building was constructed under his special direction and supervision.

In September, 1883, Mr. Page was ordered to have a heating plant put in the house and directed to procure and put in furniture and fixtures, and on December 20, 1883, the court house, being completed, was received by the county and the balance of the contract price paid, together with the additional sum of two thousand three hundred thirty-eight dollars and fifty-four cents for extra work, making the total cost of the building fifty-four thousand one

On March 7. 1887. an agreement was made with the ]\Iiss()uri Pacific Railway Company to build its branch line along Salt Fork and run a spur into Marshall and erect a depot in that city. However, before the company would undertake the building of this spur, they required the people to agree to furnish the right of way through the county and to give a bond in the sum of fifty thousand dollars as a guarantee to secure the right of way, the railroad company contracting to have the road operating trains within one year after the bond was signed. Part of this bond for fifty thousand dollars w'as signed by sixty-five men in the town of Marshall. The people along the proposed route of railway, particularly west of Marshall, were slow in granting the right of way, and in some cases claimed excessive damages, and at one time it looked as if the bondsmen were liable to lose the amount of the bond, but the matter was finally settled and the amount actually due the railroad for the cost of the right of way was paid.

On October 11, 1887, the people of Marshall adopted the local option law^, or, properly speaking, the prohibition law. The county voting on the same proposition at a separate election, failed to adopt the law. However, prohibition didn't last very long in Marshall. The court of appeals on December 20, 1888, held that the election in Marshall was void and invalid.

On the 13th of April news was received to the effect that the Cumberland Presbyterians would erect a college at Marshall. On April 10, 1889, the corner stone of the college was laid with great ceremony by the Masonic fraternity. Ten thousand people witnessed the ceremony.

In October, 1889, Jay Gould, one of his sons and a daughter passed over the Missouri Pacific, inspecting the railroad property, paying a visit to Marshall. A committee was appointed to receive him at the Missouri Pacific depot with carriages, and the party was driven through the city. They took supper in their private car, walking around the city after night, meeting many of the citizens. Mr. Gould said he was well pleased with Marshall's prospects as a growing town.

On October 22. 1889. the Tipping block was burned. Owing to the distance of the building from a fire plug, the firemen w^ere unable to put out the fire.

On Arbor Day, 1890, the trees on the campus of the Missouri Valley College were set out, and that spring, 1890, there w^as a considerable building boom in Marshall, fifty new houses being erected. The following county

On Saturday night, October 27, 1890, there was a destructive fire at Slater. The fire was supposed to be of an incendiary origin, as many small fires broke out in different parts of the town while the people w^ere trying to save the business buildings from burning, the loss being estimated at fifty thousand dollars.

On the 1 8th of September, 1891, the citizens of Miami held a grand reunion of ex-Miamians. The meeting w^as held in Lemmon's grove, about a mile south of the town. It was a large basket picnic in which the people of Saline county generally enjoyed the hospitalities for which Miami is proverbial. After dinner, the great crowd was entertained with public speaking-, base ball and a concert.

The free silver coinage question largely occupied the attention of the people in 1892, growing stronger all the time, finally reaching its height in 1896, bi-metalism being the strongest issue before the people. On the 15th of September, 1892, the Democrats of Saline county had a grand rally and barbecue for William J. Stone, the Dem-ocratic candidate for governor. It was an old-fashioned barbecue. It was held in Sappington's grove on Eastwood, there being an immense crowd present. Ten thousand people formed a line and marched from the public square to the picnic ground to partake of a great Saline county feast of beef, pork and mutton. Colonel Stone spoke for about three hours, receiving great applause and cheering from the enthusiastic hearers.

In January, 1893, the question of lighting the town of Marshall by electricity was submitted to the people, receiving their indorsement, and on the 14th of February, 1893, the franchise was granted to Thomas E. Marshall. Harry M. Rubey and William E. Cully to build and operate an electric light plant for a period of twenty years. The plant was established and is yet bemg operated under the same franchise, although it has been sold and transferred to a New York syndicate.

The financial panic of 1893 caused considerable depression in business in Saline county. Farmers and large stock feeders perhaps encountered more difficulty than others, although the banks, merchants and business men generally were hampered in their business ventures. So urgent was the call to business from all parts of the country for relief from the money stringency that President Cleveland called an extra session of Congress, meeting on August 7, 1893.

In July, 1894, there was a great general sympathetic railroad strike of employees, very much troubling the railroads passing through this county. The strike was really ag'ainst the Pullman Palace Car Company. For three weeks no freight trains passed through the county. On July 4th the tie-up was the most complete ever known in the history of railroad strikes. Not even a mail train ran on that day. On that remarkable Fourth, the people of Marshall had a regular gala day, treating the visitors to a very rare spectacle, a sham battle, the Third Regiment of the State Militia being guests of the town of Marshall and entertained the people with their mimic warfare, etc.

\\'illiam J. Bryan, of Nebraska, lectured at the Marshall Opera House on Tuesday, May 26, 1896. His subject was "The Four Immortals - Jefferson, Jackson, Clay and Lincoln."

During the Democratic convention in Chicago in 1896, Saline county watched the proceedings with great interest. Richard P. Bland, the Missouri candidate, was her first choice, but when the news came of Bryan's great speech, and his nomination, the Democrats flocked to his standard, supporting him with great unanimity throughout that memorable campaign.

During the campaign of 1896 Judge James Cooney, of Marshall, received the Democratic nomination for Congress from this district, and was elected by a large majority, and he was nominated and elected to the two next succeeding Congresses, serving the district for six years in that capacity.

The Citizens' Stock Bank of Slater failed on December \y, 1894. 1liis failure was a g-reat surprise, the people generally considering- it one of the most i)rosperous hanks in the county. Shortly afterwards, the Slater Savings Bank also failed, - in fact, making- an assignment on the same day as the Citizens' Stock Bank.

In February, 1898, the battleship "Maine" was blown up in Savannah harbor. Great excitement followed, the Federal government making a demand on Spain for indemnity. Spain offered a counter demand of indemnity for fillibustering from the United States.

In September, 1898, the work of street improvement began in Marshall, macadamizing, curbing, guttering, etc. The fence around the public square was also removed, and the walk around the square and to and from the court house was paved. The street was paved with asphalt entirely around the square, and the walks immediately around the court house yard and the approaches to the court house were paved with granitoid. East Arrow street, Odell avenue, Jefferson avenue and North street were macadamized, curbed and guttered.

In that year, 1898, internal revenue stamps were again required on checks, deeds and other instruments of writing in order to increase the revenue for the Spanish-American war, then in progress, but on December 10, 1898, peace between the United States and Spain had been agreed upon at Paris, France, and on the loth of December the treaty was ratified.

On the 15th of May, 1899, there was another disastrous fire at Slater. The railroad round house was burned, together with eight engines, which it contained at the time, all entirely destroyed.

In September, 1899, the first street fair was held in Marshall. This street fair was a great success and was attended by an immense crowd of people. The great flower parade took place during the fair, with which everybody was delighted. The entire public square was lighted with electricity and the fair was pronounced by everybody a complete success. This fair was repeated again in 1900, but after that time the street fair lost its popularity. At the last exhibition it was estimated that on Thursday fifteen thousand people were on the streets attending the fair.

In 1901 Saline county and the entire state of Missouri were visited by a very disastrous drought that, for a time, blasted the ho|:)es of the farmers throughout the country. There was so much suffering on account of the absence of rain that the governor of the state finally set apart a special day for prayer. The railroads were compelled to put on water trains to haul water from the river to their water tanks to supply their engines. The drought lasted until the middle of the fall. The crops of corn raised in Saline county were hardly more than enough to carry the stock through the succeeding winter. However, there were some good crops of corn raised even in spite of the drought.

This prolonged (h'ought proved to liaxe been a great fertilizer and the following year, 1902, the greatest corn crop ever raised in the countv was produced, and from that year the value of lands in Saline county began to rise, and have continued to rise frcjm that time until now, when the average value is about double what it was eight years ago.

On Wednesday, July 10. 1901, about two miles west of Norton, near where the railroad crosses Salt Fork, occurred one of the most disastrous head-on collisions and wrecks of the Chicago & Alton railroad. An east bound heavy freight train met a west bound extra excursion passenger train, that was crowded with people, near the bridge over Salt Fork. Both trains were running at high speed. The freight train that was going* down the steep grade telescoped three of the passenger coaches. The boiler of the freight train exploded. Twenty-five people were killed outright, and seventyfive were injured and maimed for life.

The long drought was attended by extreme heat, and on Wednesday, July 17. 1901, the New York Store, on the southeast corner of the public square at Marshall, caught fire and burnt down, the entire block of buildings adjoining l^eing- consumed. The stream of water furnished bv the water company was found entirely inadequate and for a time it looked as though the wdiole town would be destroyed. However, it was confined to the block.

This burning of the New York Store and the inability of the fire department to stop or put out the fire for the want of proper water pressure, led to dissatisfaction with the water works and the company owning it. Afterwards, the city declined to pa\- the money due the compan}- for water under its contract, and following this, the company was unable to pay the interest on their bonds, and thereupon, the bondholders began proceedings in the federal court at Kansas City, to foreclose their mortgage securing the bonds. Sometime before this, the company had instituted suit against the town to collect the amount due for water furnished the city, \\diile this litigation was pending, a proposition was made by the bondholders, or the receiver of the company, to sell the works to the city for the sum of forty thousand dollars, and the matter being submitted to the vote of the people, it was thereupon approved, bonds being issued to raise the money, the works purchased becoming the property of the city.

the town, ascertaining that there was ample supply of water to be had at a depth of one hundred and twenty-five feet, and subsequently, in the year 1904, the people approved a proposition to issue twenty-five thousand dollars in bonds for the purpose of erecting a new plant. This new plant was erected and put in successful operation, and its operation by the city has been very successful and given general satisfaction ever since. At the same time, the water rate has been reduced nearly one-half with an ample supply of first rate water.