And Time "pioneers"

We have traced back to William Warren Webb, who died an old man (I have the estate) in 1783, Orange County Virginia. Had a large family. Then one of his sons, James Crittenden Webb, migrated to North Carolina. Had a large family, I have his list of children. One of his sons, Benjamin C. Webb born in North Carolina and his wife Jane Coffey (daughter of Reuben and Sally Scott Coffey) migrated to Overton County Tennessee (died in 1824, I have the estate).

Two of his sons, migrated to Jasper County in the 1850's: Elijah C. Webb, father to John C. Webb and my great, great, great grandfather, along with James C. Webb, the father of Jane Chinn.

Also from Tennessee came Thomas C. Webb who lived where the Mt. Hope Cemetery is now located, and Solomon H. Webb. So, four lines of the same tree came here. Since my Great Grandparents Erasmus Webb and Eliza Jane Terry Webb were cousins, I'm also descended from the above listed Thomas C. Webb. We also have the female lines of the family tree. We have never found any Indian tribal lines in any of the lines, although I would not say there is none.

The Harmony Grove cemetery east of Joplin, is the Webb family cemetery. All four lines are represented there and the parents of John C. Webb are there (died 1859). John Cornwall Webb was named for his maternal grandfather, John Cornwall Johnson who was the son of John Boswell Johnson, a Revolutionary War veteran.

John C. Webb was originally buried in Harmony Grove Cemetery in 1883, but after the formation of Mount Hope Cemetery his first wife; a son and John C. Webb were removed to Mt. Hope.

John C. Webb had a younger brother, William J. whose first wife died young, leaving three little girls. The young wife was a dark eyed German (Schubert) and eventually the coloring of the children created an Indian story...until research proved they were pure German.

Regards, Colleen Belk.

Colleen has since passed away. I really appreciate her letter; it is nice to have this information directly from the family.

"Founder's grandson dies"

I received a phone call that there has been a loss for our city. It seems that the last remaining direct descendent of our city founder has passed away. He was John Cornwall Webb's great grandson, Thomas Hall Webb.

Two of Benjamin's boys, Elijah C. Webb and James C. Webb decided to migrate to Jasper County, in 1855. They settled on a farm just east of what would one day be Joplin. Elijah had left grown children back in Tennessee, and it wasn't long before they decided to join their father in his adventure to this new land.

John's younger brother, William J., who was 9 years old when his parents moved to Missouri, grew up on the Webb Farm, east of Joplin, but when the town of Webb City was formed, he moved into town and started a blacksmith business.

Two of John's cousins, Thomas C. Webb and Solomon H. Webb, also moved into the area. There were several branches of Benjamin Webb's family living in Jasper County.

John C. Webb and Ruth had three children, Elijah (E.T.) Webb, Martha Ellen Webb Hall and Mary Susan Webb Burgner. The children lost their mother in 1877, just one year after Webb City was incorporated and John died in 1883.

John's only son, E.T. had one son, Ernest Webb, the father of Thomas Hall Webb, who just passed away. Thomas and his wife Sally have been living in Texas. They visited Webb City several years ago and he recalled days of his youth visiting his grandparents in their grand home at the southwest corner of Broadway and Liberty Street. Thomas has a stepdaughter Lee Anne and sister Alice who also live in Texas.

There are many Webb's still living in the area and some are related to the brothers and cousins of John C. Webb, but this is the end of the direct line of our founder.

Our sincere sympathy to the family of Thomas Webb. He will not be forgotten as Webb City strives to keep recalling the glorious history that has made our town such a great place to live.

A special thanks to Rusty Stanford for keeping me informed.
A letter was received from Alice Spradley, Thomas Webb's sister dated August 24, 1999 in which she corrects some of the above information.
The enclosed article concerning my brother in particular and the Webb family in general was much appreciated by the family. I apologize for being so tardy in writing about the column. Truly, I did not discover the error that I would like to correct until very recently, when I re-read the article.

You say in the column that my brother has a sister, which is correct and therefore negates the next paragraph, which indicates there are no remaining direct descendents of John C. Webb. In fact, there are eight of us living now. I am Alice Webb Spradley, the great granddaughter of John C. Webb and the granddaughter of E.T. Webb. I have three children in their 40's. The eldest is Ernest (Webb) Spradley, then Charles D. Spradley and a daughter Alice Spradley Alex. Webb has a daughter, Rachel Hay Spradley; Charles has two sons, Walter Bowles Spradley and Martin Webb Spradley; Alice has one son, Ronald Marshall Alex, Jr.

My children and I have always been proud of our Webb City heritage and have been pleased to see the Webb house, the Methodist Church and other things of note when we have been there for my brother's funeral (1998) and my mother's funeral in 1968. I would like, for the record, it be noted that there are direct descendents who wish to keep in touch with this part of our heritage always. Also, I would note the headline to the article, though it doesn't really matter...my brother was the great grandson of the founder. It is true, of course, that my brother is the last of the direct line to carry the Webb name as a surname.

Thanks again for your attention to this. Please include it somewhere in the records of your paper. I'll send a copy of this letter to the library, where other records are kept.

Dallas, Texas

When he arrived in the area soon to be known as Webb City, he found out about J.C. Webb's mining difficulties at the Center Creek Mines. They needed someone to sink the shaft. A little bit of ore had been removed, but the mine kept filling with water.

Ashcraft had seven horses and he worked each one for two or three hours each as they kept the pump going. As soon as the pump quit, the shaft would fill up and over flow. But, Ashcraft was still able to get enough lead to make several sales. They were the first marked loads of ore to come out of Webb City.

Grant Ashcraft had made a name for himself: the first man to sink a shaft in Webb City and the first to market the ore. He watched that industry grow until over $10 million worth of ore had been shipped from the Center Creek Mines.

Ashcraft was not only the first to sell ore in Webb City; he was also noted for building the first frame house. When he arrived in Webb City (the town had not been incorporated yet) there was nothing in sight but John C. Webb's log house. By the time the town was incorporated in 1876, Ashcraft had purchased several city lots in a block area to the west of Pennsylvania, south of John (Austin), north of Daugherty and east of Ball. (The area is now Memorial Park and the Senior Citizen Center.) On the corner of Pennsylvania and Daugherty, he built the first frame house.

A pioneer is someone who goes before, preparing the way for others. It's also defined, as being one of the firsts of its kind. Well, both of those definitions fit the description of Granville P. Ashcraft. His pattern in life seemed to be that he was always the first to do something.

Granville, or Grant as he became known, was born December 13, 1842 in Cass County to Eli and Abigail (Plummer) Ashcraft of Kentucky. They were pioneers of that portion of Bates County, which later became Cass County, Missouri as of 1836. They had moved to an area still inhabited by the Indians and wild animals.

Living in the wilderness as they did, Grant didn't receive a formal education. He began work at an early age in a sawmill. He drove the horses, which furnished the power to the mill. He earned only $10 a month and he saw no chance for advancement, so after four months, he quit. With the money he made, he bought a suit of clothes from a store in another town. His was the first suit of ready-made clothing worn in that part of Missouri. This gave Grant a prominence in the neighborhood that was pleasing to him. Thus it became his desire to be first at many accomplishments throughout his life.

At the tender age of 17, Grant made a trip to California over the Santa Fe Trail. The journey took over five months, meeting danger and hardship along the way. While in Stockton, California, Grant hardly gave himself but a few hours rest before he went to work as a painter. But, an adventurer such as Grant could not live that close to the "California Gold Fever" without catching it himself. He went to work for Mr. Fair and Mr. Mackey and the one of the four men who dug the first shaft on the famous Comstock Lode, which made millionaires for the men he was working for.

Five years later, Grant headed back to Missouri after a visit from his brother Sam. He got sidetracked along the way in Denver, Colorado and did a little successful mining there. But, the longing for home overpowered the need to continue his mining. He had stayed in Colorado for eight years (quite a detour) on his trip back home. It was 1872 when Grant arrived in Joplin, then a small developing community of only a few houses and businesses.

Almost immediately upon arriving in the area, Grant got the mining fever again. He originally bought into what was later known as the Oronogo Circle Mines, but got mad about a deal he was involved in and left Oronogo for what was later named Webb City. He remained here until his death in 1911.

Grant bought some of the Webb City land and was the first to bring in lead from the Webb City mines. The first week alone, he took out 15,000 pounds. He was also the first to ship ore out of the area. In 1874, Grant married Theresa Belle Baker, a native of Springfield, Illinois. They were the parents of three children: Bernice (Burch), another daughter who married Allen Hardy, Jr. and a son, Eli Ashcraft. Bernice was the first child born in the new town of Webb City.

Upon arriving in the area of the Webb mines, the only thing in site was John C. Webb's log cabin. Grant purchased several lots, a great number of them in the area surrounded by Daugherty Street, John (Austin) Street, Pennsylvania and Ball Street. On one corner he built the first frame house, adding others at a later time.

It's been stated that he even bought the first automobile in the Webb City area. I thought that honor was contributed to A.D. Hatten, but I was informed that Hatten had purchased the first colored (red) automobile.

Grant's brother, Sam seemed to be a guardian angel to Grant. He went to California to bring him home and was always there to assist Grant. Sam married Mary Margaret Worsham, and they lived across Ball Street from the block of houses that Grant had built. Their address was 216 North Ball.

Grant may have been first in a lot of his achievements, but he was definitely first in the eyes of the citizens of Webb City. His death on July 24, 1911 was deeply mourned. The statement was made that it was the death of "one of the most prominent and highly honored of the citizens of Webb City and southern Missouri."

It's another example of one more pioneer who made Webb City the wonderful town we live in. The descendants of Grant and Sam Ashcraft should indeed feel proud to be related to such strong men who helped build a city.

(Mary Margaret Ashcraft Berrian and her daughter Mary Margaret (Meg) Berrian say they are proud to be descendents of Grant and Sam Ashcraft).

In talking about well-known forefathers, we have to repeat what some of you have known for years, but there are a few people who have never heard the story of James O'Neill. The story of "poor boy becomes rich man" applies to James O'Neill.

He was born in New York on October 31, 1836, to poor immigrants. At an early age, James began to show a talent at succeeding in most anything he attempted. He began working at the early age of 12. His first business adventure was driving along the waterway of the Erie Canal for $9 a month. At the end of three years, he was given a position on a freight boat and was a valued employee.

At the age of 29, James took his hard-earned savings and headed to the Pennsylvania oil region to invest in land. It was a wise decision on his part; the land proved to be rich in petroleum.

In 1879, at 43 years of age, James O'Neill came to Jasper County to invest once more in land, only this time he was investing in lead and zinc. He also bought 1,500 acres in Kansas to become involved in coal mining. He purchased land in Newton County for mining and farming.

As if he wasn't busy enough keeping track of all of his investments, James O'Neill decided to take on a new business that all his friends considered a hazardous undertaking…The Webb City Water Works. He had to invest a lot of money with only a small amount of return possible. Well, his foresight paid off. As the community developed so did the water works, which became a necessity for both the city and the mining industry.

Being the smart businessman that he was, James O'Neill owned all but one-twentieth of the stocks associated with the Water Company. His son-in-law George H. Bruen, was the secretary and Henry O'Neill was the Vice President with James as President.

To add to his list of accomplishments, James was half-owner in the Webb City Ice & Storage Company. He also built the famous Newland Hotel. And he was involved in many organizations in the community. He also started the first gas service in Webb City

James was married to Lucy Bachelder (from New York) and they had two children; Grace who married George R. Regdon in Pennsylvania and Jennie who married George H. Bruen in Webb City. James' second wife was Ora Hubbell of Cedar County, Missouri and they had one son, Robert Newland O'Neill.

I think James O'Neill rightly qualifies as an honored forefather and ancestor of Webb City history. If we had more dedicated people today who were concerned with Webb City's future, we would see a flourishing metropolis. We do have those who are concerned, but only a handful can't accomplish something that needs the support of the entire town. I would like to see our city working together as a unit instead of being torn apart by opposition.

Additional information: The O'Neill Building was the home of the Water department, 9 1/2 South Webb Street. The water works system cost O'Neill $100,000 in 1890. James O'Neill had the title of Colonel, but I don't know how he came by that title.

Joseph Wheeler Aylor

"Mansion still pretty"

Published November 30, 1990

Joseph Aylor had a lot to show for his life. Never having an education didn't stop this wonder man from finding his destination.

Leaving his home state of Virginia in 1859, Joseph came to the state of Missouri. In 1861, he became a member of the army with Pindall's battalion of Sharp Shooters. He was active in the battles of Lexington, Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, Pleasant Hill and Jenkin's Ferry, plus many more.

Joseph became involved in mining with Andrew McCorkle. Along with the mining company with McCorkle, Joseph had a fine farm with 120 acres and 117 acres of mining land on Turkey Creek.

In 1866, Mr. Joseph Aylor married Miss C.M.E. Webb. He built a beautiful mansion in the heart of Webb City for his lovely wife. The home was prestigious and close to the business (Merchants & Miners Bank) that Joseph was so fond of. The house still stands today at the southwest corner of Webb and Daugherty streets. It is a well-preserved landmark of our glorious history.

"Now that was a good investment"

Despite having been to school for only 2 months and 19 days in his entire lifetime, Joseph became smart in business through actual experience and keeping a cool head about him. His word was as good as a bond.

In 1859, at the age of 20, young Joseph ventured west to the new territory of Missouri. By 1861, Joseph found himself to be a member of the army with Pindall's Battalion of Sharp Shooters. Under the command of General Parson, who was attached to General Price, Joseph was actively engaged the battles of Lexington, Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, Jenkin's Ferry, Arkansas, Pleasant Hill, Louisiana and numerous other places, serving under the Confederate Flag.

After the Civil War, in 1866, Joseph Aylor found himself in Texas with only $5 to his name. He invested it all in a horse and waited until he could sell the horse for more money. In the meantime, he proposed to and married Miss C.M.E. Webb who hailed from the state of Texas. With the extra money he made from the sale of the horse, Aylor and his new bride made the trip back to Jasper County.

Joseph invested the rest of his horse money in purchasing some farmland here (in the Jasper County area, later to be known as Webb City) and the land was rich in minerals. Going into partnership with Andrew McCorkle, the two men bought as much land as they could and mined a good portion of the land. Both became quite wealthy, as they began mining as early as 1869 in the neighboring towns. Joseph, at the time, lived out on the hill across from what would soon become Mount Hope Cemetery. (That hill was later leveled and became the location of a shopping center).

Joseph Aylor opened the Merchants & Miners Bank of Webb City and served as President. Being a very paranoid man, Aylor built his a grand three story brick home directly behind the bank, on Webb Street so he could keep an eye on any activity around the bank. But to add to his worries, he was always afraid someone would kidnap him to find out the combination to the bank safe. When he built his new home, he put a beautiful etched glass window on the second floor that allowed him to view who was at the door when the maid answered. He felt confident that if it were someone up to no good, he could make a hasty retreat before they were even in the door.

In the basement of his home, Joseph had a tunnel that went south to John C. Webb's home at 112 N. Webb Street, which was right next door. The tunnel was used for the young ladies to travel from one house to the next without worry of messing up their clothes or hair. It also served as a hasty retreat for Aylor, if he felt threatened in any way. Aylor also kept a safe under the stairway of his home to keep his personal papers and spending cash out of harm's way.

As Aylor's wealth continued to grow, he invested in more land and built a beautiful home in Carthage and a million-dollar estate in Kansas City. He let his daughter Ada and her husband, S. Nilson, live in the old Aylor home on Webb street and he lived mostly in the Carthage home which he loved. His son, Ben with his wife Blanche, had a tendency to live in the Kansas City mansion.

One day, in 1912, as Aylor was taking care of his garden in Carthage, he had a seizure and landed in the fire he was tending. He wasn't badly burned, but he had inhaled the smoke and flames to the extent that his health was greatly impaired. He died in Kansas City in April of 1917, at the age of 77.

At the time of his death, he owned the Webb City home, the Carthage home, the Kansas City estate home, 2,000 acres of land in Jasper County and 29 sections of land in Texas. His net worth at the time of this death estimated to exceed $2.5 million. Just imagine...he started out with $5 after the Civil War.