Livingston county history
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STURGES HISTORYThe town of Sturges was born of the railroad and died because of better roads and the advent of the automobile. Section Four Township 58, range 13 was a part of the land given to the Hannibal, St. Joseph Railroad at the time it was built across the state. In 1875 the Northwest Quarter of Section Four was purchased by P. Kreckle of Osage County and D. Bosehert of St. Charles County. In April 1882 they sold the farm to S. P. Hopper from Shelby County; he moved to Livingston County by covered wagon. In October 1885 at corn shucking time, a surveying crew of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad came from the north, cut a hole in the hedge fence and set their stakes in a south by southwesterly direction, near the ridge that is the division between Medicine Creek and the East fork of Grand River. The railroad made an agreement with the city of Chillicothe to come through the city if Chillicothe would give them a depot and free right of way through the county. In the spring of 1886, committees purchased the right of way from the landowners, buying a strip 100 feet wide from S. P. Hooper for $500. and a strip across 80 acres from the Kappus family for $200.00. Grading contracts were let in 6 mile sections. Cuts and fills were made and the roadbed put in shape many local men and teams were hired. Wheeled scrapers were used and an extra team was put on in loading. A steam engine was used to assist in loading, at the cut north of Cottonwood Grove. After the grading was completed the track laying crew came. It was a railroad engine pushing flat cars loaded with ties, rails and other parts. Ties were placed on the ground and rails spiked to them, then the train would move forward. The track was completed April 1, 1887. The railroad cut off about 30 acres of the best land on the farm, and this was seen as a possible town site. The town of Sturges was named for a railroad official. Mr. Hopper formed a partnership with W. E. Gunby of Chillicothe, a real estate man, to lay out the town into streets and lots. Later other crews came through laying passing and switch tracks, building a depot, stockyards, granary, section house and putting down wells. The first depot had a waiting room, freight room and living quarters for the agent upstairs. After a number of years the depot burned and was replaced by a one story depot moved from Stockdale. This building was damaged by a windstorm, and was replaced by a small one room building; Passengers had to flag the train. The first store was a one room building a block west of the depot. It was built and operated by Hopper and Cal Tracy, later purchased by C. N. Boorn who enlarged it to two large rooms and second story. He added a warehouse on the north and a lumber yard across the street south. This business was known as C. N. Boorn, General Merchandise. Dr. Freeman built a smaller store about half a block north and the Veserat Brothers, Frank and Charles, built a blacksmith shop on the north side of town, west side of main street. Their father was a blacksmith in Chillicothe, originally from Paris, France. J. S. Riley from Macon County, built a house east of Freeman’s store and operated a brick yard one-fourth mile west of town. His bricks were initialed J.S.R. The Peoples Exchange Bank was built in 1903, a fine brick building with a vault, a slate roof and iron door treads. C. N. Boorn was president in 1913. W. M. Beal was cashier for 27 years all the time the bank operated; his salary was $75.00 a month. The bank closed in 1930 paying 100% on deposits. The Post Office was established in October 1887 with William Tracy as first postmaster. It was located at the depot, then in a small building from 1900 to 1915 and in stores after that. William J. Eakin, who was postmaster in 1900, was a prominent early settler in the county, coming to Livingston County from Tennessee in 1854. He operated a wagon factory at Springhill until the Civil War, served in the army during the war, returning to operate Slagle’s Mill until 1884. The post office was discontinued in 1937 when Carl Boorn was postmaster. Freeman and Boorn operated a coalhouse, S. P. Hopper assisted by H. A. Roberts, bought and sold grain, hay, and apples. The stockyards were located north of the granary. In 1917 they shipped more than 140 cars of livestock out of Sturges. Tom Roberts gave the land on which the school house was built, a block west of the bank. Mrs. Sadie Gibson was the first teacher. The telephone central was located in the Charles Ricket home with Mrs. Ricket as operator. Other businesses include a millinery shop, 2 barber shops, a produce house and a blacksmith shop. Charles Benskin operated a grocery store; in 1919 the store burned. Dr. Newbury and Dr. Rafter practiced medicine for a time. Medicine shows stopped occasionally and the Anti-Horse Thief Association held meetings. On the Fourth of July, Mr. Boorn fired shotgun shells from his cannon. Charles Ricket was bandmaster of the Chula Band. On summer evenings the young men would sit at the store and watch the “Dude” and the “Limited” come in. Dr. John Freeman, who came to Livingston County in 1854 from Ohio was a school teacher, farmer, and attended medical lectures at Keokuk, Iowa. He moved to Sturges in 1877 and practiced medicine and operated a store. He kept a barrel of whiskey in the back room, with a pitcher and glass nearby; partakers were supposed to put a dime on the counter for each glass they drank. There was never a saloon in town. Charles Ricket ran the Blacksmith shop after purchasing it from the Veserat brothers. He owned the first car in town, an International with chair drive, high wheels and hard rubber tires. The first automobile accident occurred when Mrs. Charles Benskin and Miss Georgia Uhrmacher, both driving Model T Fords collided. In August 1919, there was a freight train wreck, spilling crude oil and a car of gasoline exploded. The 1909 flood affected Sturges; although not on the creek, a large part of the track was flooded, and heavy rains upstream caused boxcars to come floating downstream. A tornado occurred the evening of September 14, 1914, blowing off the roof of Centenary Church; since there was no church in town, Centenary, two miles to the east, was the closest church. -- Leo Hopper UTICA - GREEN TOWNSHIP“Utica is a quiet little village, situated on the St. Joseph branch of the Burlington Railroad in the best fruit growing district of Missouri. Its apple orchards rival those of any state in the union. Utica has six churches and is a thoroughly religious and educated community.” (copied from a 1900 edition of the Utica Herald, Harry Webster, Editor.) According to county records, Samuel E. Todd was the first white settler. In 1833 he put up a horse mill and in 1836 he built a water mill on West Grand River. Roderick Matson is given the distinction of founder of the town. In the spring of 1836 he came to Livingston County from Utica, New York. In April, 1837, when the original town of Utica was laid out and the plat was filed for record in Chillicothe, it was named by Mr. Matson for his old home in New York. In 1880 the population was 660. Besides the churches, there were a newspaper, two lodges, a brick school, a flour mill, seven stores, several shops, four attorneys, two physicians, two saloons and an opera house. In 1980 the preliminary census lists the population of Green Township as 407. There are two churches, a post office, and two garages (A machine shop owned by Bill Stamper and son, Patrick and Pete’s Auto owned by Garry Peterson). Few of the original buildings still stand. One is the building known as the “old hotel”. It was built in 1836 by Edward and Susan Mead and has changed hands frequently over the years. Its present owners are Stephen and Wilda Locke who have made extensive restoration. Another is the Masonic Hall. The Masonic Lodge is the only lodge in Utica now and meetings are still held in the original building. Edgar Kohl is the postmaster. For years the post office had been located in various stores around town until Edgar purchased the former Bank Building and it has been located there since. Mrs. Mike Clark is the clerk. Mail is brought in week day mornings by truck and is picked up each evening. In 1970 the Utica Community Betterment Association was organized by a group of interested citizens. They have sponsored projects such as July Fourth Celebrations, a ball park for youths, and a fire department. Money making projects have been chill and ice cream suppers. Meetings are held in the fire house. Present officers are Mrs. Keith Wheeler president, Mrs. Bill Hightower secretary, and Mrs. Junior Ireland treasurer. The Green Township Fire Protection #40666 was organized September 20, 1971, and Jerry Baldwin was elected the first fire chief. A used fire truck was purchased and the men worked many nights to repair and put in new parts. Fifteen men received fireman cards after a short study course. A store building was purchased from Mike Clark as a fire house. The group decided to rent the building for worthwile causes for $10, with the promise of no alcohol on the premises. Bill Hightower is the present fire chief and Edgar Kohl, Mike Clark, and Paul McIntosh are on the board. Formerly there were acres and acres of orchards in the area but the trees have died out. The only orchard now is the Central States Orchard located west of Utica on the highway. Bob Brozovich is the present owner. Utica has two industries - The Midland Brick and Tile Co., owned by the Patek family with Paul McIntosh as the present plant superintendent and the Trager Industries made up of several divisions located at the western edge of town. Utica is unincorporated. Vencille Jones (trustee), Ralph Ratliff, and Charley Allen are on the Green Township Board. Other elected officials are Keith Wheeler assessor and Mrs. Frank Romeiser, collector. One of the most interesting buildings in Utica, which still stands is the old Utica Hotel. It’s present owners are Stephen E. and Wilda (Peters) Locke. They have restored it and graciously take interested persons on a tour of it. They are retired builders from Gary, Indiana. Mrs. Locke is a native Chillicothian and upon retirement became interested in this building she had known as a child. The house was built approximately in 1836 by Roderick and Catherine Matson, who was given the distinction of being the founder of the town of Utica. It was sold to and occupied by Edward, George, and Wm. Van Zandt. It changed hands frequently with over 30 owners to the present time. The original house consisted of three rooms downstairs with two upstairs. Every room had a fireplace. The inside and outside walls are 18 inches thick solid brick. Each room on the first floor had its own solid rock foundation and a crawlway large enough for a person to crawl through it. Heavy quarried rocks were used for the fireplaces. Only two fireplaces were in good enough condition to restore them and be used now. The architecture is that of the Greek Revival period. The woodwork throughout the entire house is of native black walnut and parts are beautifully carved. The original key holes in each door were made of coin silver and some remain. An additional four rooms were built on approximately 1856. These rooms had lower level flooring and ceilings. The house consists now of nine rooms and a large attic; an outside porch on both floors; and a look-out. It is believed the first time the residence was used as a hotel was by Mrs. Ann Waters, a widow, in 1890. This was a way in which a woman of her day could earn a livelihood. Records show that Lucy Lemon, purchased it and operated a boarding and rooming house from 1904-1930. Since that time it has been used as a single family residence. Some of Mrs. Lemon’s descendants have owned and resided in the hotel. Many of her descendants have visited and shown much interest in the Lock’s restoration of the building. -- Grace Stone WHEELING, MISSOURIAs much as 27 years before the town of Wheeling was started, part of the prairie had already been settled. In 1859 the Hannibal - St. Joseph railroad was built and towns sprang up all along the new railway. These railroad towns provided area customers with goods and services that had previously required many more miles of travel to obtain. The new town prospered and grew and their promoters made profits on the sale of supplies and services, and on the sale of town lots. The town of Wheeling is located in a fertile glacier deposit area on the east side of Sec. 5, Twp. 57, Rg. 22. It was laid out by John Nay on October 7, 1865, on land the (south part) bought by his father Henry Nay and the (north part) owned by Josiah Hunt. The town was named after Nay’s native State Capital of Wheeling, West Virginia. On June 1, 1866, the town was plotted and recorded by John Jay and Josiah Hunt. Henry Nay built the first house in May of 1866. It served not only as his family home but also as the first store, the post office, and the site of the first religious organization. It was located on the S. W. corner of the intersection of Lincoln and Market Streets. Early business buildings expanded west from the Nay home on Market Street south of the railroad. By 1893 the population had grown to over 250 and was expanding rapidly. A business for nearly every need and a market for farm products and produce were now located on Grant St. north of the railroad. The first buildings were all built of wood until 1891 when Gregg and Fell built a brick building of brick which was produced locally. It burned the night the Maine blew up in Havana Harbor in 1898, in a fire reportedly started by bank robbers next door. In the fire, several other business buildings burned and all the early cemetery records were lost. The first birth in Wheeling was Riley Nay, June 2, 1866 and eight months later the first burial was Mrs. Linnie C. Barkley, age 27 on February 4, 1867. The first physician was Dr. James Gish, a member of the large Gish family from north of town. The first depot was built in 1866 south of the railroad but it burned in 1881. A temporary building was used until a new depot was constructed in 1882 on the north side of the railroad. Rail service became less prominent in Wheeling as in many other communities in later years and the depot was torn down in July 1979. In the early days, land around Wheeling was being patented from the U. S. Government for $2.50 per acre. The 80 acres which the north half of Wheeling sits upon, was bought by R. G. Swinburne for $200.00 ($10 per acre) in June 1865, about ten years after it had been patented. R. G. Swinburne sold it in March 1866, less than a year later, to Josiah Hunt for $1200.00 ($15 per acre). Josiah Hunt was a railroad surveyor and lawyer. He also figures in other towns along the Hannibal - St. Joseph Railroad. Although Wheeling’s main function was to provide supplies and services to the surrounding agricultural communities, it had its own manufacturing such as: two brick plants, paper mill for a short time, cigar factory, stave factory, loop factory, sorghum mills; during the early forties there was a tomato canning factory and in the late forties and fifties, a truck body factory. Wheeling has had several papers and publishers. The first was J. S. Graves who started publishing the “Wheeling Herald” August 28, 1888. Eight changes of Editors and names of the paper took place in the next 18 years. The last town newspaper the “Wheeling Star”, was started in 1921 but burned out almost immediately. On July 30, 1896, Wheeling was first incorporated with a 34 page book of ordinances for enforcing punishment of law-breakers; a jail was built near the depot. The incorporation soon fell apart and the jail was taken by private citizens for use as a clubhouse on Grand River. Many of the ordinances might today be considered unreasonable and stifling. One of them restricted all vehicles, including trains, to speeds of not over six miles per hour except in case of fire or need of a doctor. No person was allowed to holler, shout, scream, sing, whoop, or quarrel, such as to disturb his neighbor, and so the list continues. For entertainment there have been various enterprises such as Old Maid’s Convention, Ice Cream Suppers, Church Suppers, Chrysanthemum Shows in the fall, Band Concerts, movies both indoor and open air, Traveling Medicine Shows, Circuses, and “Homecoming” on Labor Day for a number of years. Baseball drew a large crowd in 1884 when the Wheeling baseball team defeated the St. Louis Browns in all 3 of a 3 game match. On election years in the early days each party held pole raising rallies on the block west of the city park. Poles were often 90 ft. tall, raised by the use of steam engines; speeches were given followed by a picnic dinner. Some folks stayed for two days until the food ran out. Political issues carried strong feelings so that spontaneous explosions of fighting were often sparked. The Saturday night visit to town was the traditional highlight of the week in small towns before 1929. The young people paraded up one side of the street and down the other, eyeing those of the other sex, and finally getting enough nerve to talk to them and maybe taking a short drive in the family auto. Each store had seats out in front of its business. Farmers came to town to relax from a week’s work and to discuss with neighbors their work, their neighbors’ work, news of the day, politics, religion, and maybe a bit of gossip. This was the main entertainment as there were no radios, nor televisions and the auto didn’t make trips farther than town unless it was absolutely necessary. A memorable event for Wheeling occurred when Herbert Wiley, commander of the Los Angeles dirigible and the son of a Wheeling citizen, received permission to stop over Wheeling and communicated by blinking lights with his father. Everyone from miles around was in town that night of October 10, 1928. The next year the German Dirigible Graf Zeppelin raced through our sky in the daytime frightening the horses of those in the field that day. Wheeling had slight connection with early air traffic but was right in the mainstream as far as overland travel. The old “Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean” Highway, also called “No. 8”, that cornered the northeast corner of Wheeling, was a main thoroughfare for many years. Highway 36 was built in 1928 as a gravel highway and was paved the next year. Number 8 then was partially abandoned upon the completion of 36. Grant Street was cut straight through south to the new paved highway for convenience. Wheeling modernization has included the addition of electricity in 1914, natural gas in 1954, modern fire equipment in 1960, dial telephones in 1961, and commercial water in 1965. The auto brought many changes; first sales were by Henry Smiley about 1909. Since no one had had any previous experience at driving, or even observing anyone else driving, Smiley hired Luther Wisehaupt to teach prospective customers to drive before they bought. Frightened horses along the road were a problem. Later, garages for the repair of those temperamental machines, came into being with gas pumps, to service both local autos and those coming in from the highway north of town. One old gentlemen north of Wheeling bought a new car about 1914 but didn’t understand its temperaments; as he was going home one afternoon it labored and wouldn’t pull itself. He called a mechanic who raised the hood as the old gentleman tried to start it. Mechanic said “Why Mr. - Your motor is missing”. The old gentleman jumped around the car excited and exclaimed, “it was in there a few minutes ago.” Tubeless tires became standard equipment on new cars about 1955. One man from near Wheeling drove an old car that was giving him some trouble. His sons dealt in used cars, but the old gentleman would not accept another car as a gift, so the boys made him a good deal he couldn’t resist. After a time of good driving he finally had a flat tire; to his amazement there was no tube in the tire. As he bought a tube, he remarked that he knew his boys were shrewd traders, but he was surprised that they would steal the tubes out of the car tires. Wheeling always furnished its quota of young men to the wars of our nation, and each time there were those who did not return, as well as those who did return but suffered from their wounds the rest of their lives. Due to the changing needs of the times and the death of the operators, many businesses started closing their doors following World War II. In 1969 and again in 1972 because of vacant deterioration, three of our main business brick buildings were torn down. Since so many services and businesses have closed more and more business transactions are done in Chillicothe. The school in town was the successor of a log school built in the fall of 1859 and organized in January 1860. If one extended State Street south to cross Highway 36, this log school would have been south east of this intersection of State and U.S. 36 Highway. The school was taught by Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Bowers. They later operated the large hotel known as the “Bowers House”, one of four hotels in Wheeling. A frame school house (1867-1882) was built on the N. W. corner of State and South Second Street and taught by F. M. Brown. The next school built in 1882, was a two room building located N. W. of intersection of North 4th and Grant Street. From this school in 1898 the first graduating exercises were held by Superintendent Jeff Malloy. Before this time schooling was terminated by students’ satisfactorily completion of certain books or simply dropping out of school. Total operating expenses of this school in 1898 was $1,167.41 In 1920 a new brick school building was built south of south Second Street at the end of Lincoln Street and a four year high school was instituted. This building had a gym, stage, dressing room, office, kitchen and modern restrooms added to the east and it was dedicated in 1954. In the fall of 1972 an industrial arts building and a dining hall were added southwest of the gym. A kindergarten building was purchased July 11, 1973 and placed south of the original brick school building. Wheeling School produced some outstanding basketball teams in the middle twenties. Due to much practice on the part of some students, Wheeling has again produced some outstanding basketball teams. Wheeling girls were Conference Regional Winners in 1972-73-74-75, third in the State in 73, second in 74, and State Champions in 1975. Wheeling boys were second in Regional in 1975. Although Wheeling has many of the traditional frame structures, apartment buildings and trailers have become the homes of some citizens in recent years. Wheeling had a large turnout for its Centennial year celebration in 1966. There were numerous activities both by civic groups, and public gatherings. The Centennial activities ended with the burying of a capsule in the City Park, put in place by the Centennial Queen, Dawn Walkup, with Minnie Howe the Queen Mother and Princess Cathy Bowyer, looking on. It contained records of the Centennial, to be dug up and opened in the year 2016. We hope to add to it and rebury it then. Our oldest citizens living in town at the time of the Centennial, Minnie Howe and Will Coleman, both lived beyond 100 years. Wheeling will doubtless look quite different to its citizens of 2016 from the way it looks today, just as its present appearance and activities only faintly resemble those of 1866. -- Lucian Walkup Directory: History History -> Developed for the Ontario Curriculum History -> A chronology 1660-1832 The Restoration Settlement History -> History and Social Science Standards of Learning Enhanced Scope and Sequence History -> Evolution of the National Weather Service History -> Chronological documentation for the period through 1842 Copyright Bruce Seymour blio, Cadet Papers of Patrick Craigie History -> History of the 14 History -> History of the ports in Georgia History -> That Broad and Beckoning Highway: The Santa Fe Trail and the Rush for Gold in California and Colorado History -> Capitol Reef National Park List of Fruit and Nut Varieties, Including Heirlooms Prepared for the National Park Service through the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit by Kanin Routson and Gary Paul Nabhan, Center for Sustainable Download 1.01 Mb. 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