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The Cooper County Historical Society is a nonprofit 501© (3) organization, founded in 1990, with a focus on collecting and preserving documents, records, historical books and other historical information on Cooper County. We have a free research library to assist the public in finding the information. THANK YOU, HANNAH COLE Picture of the Hannah Cole statue P rior to the coming of the Cole families, what would someday become Cooper County was explored by several early explorers starting with Charles Ravensway in 1658, Daniel Boone in 1799 and later Lewis and Clark in1803-1804 after Missouri became a state. The area was already well known to fur traders. Hannah Allison Cole must have been a very adventuresome, determined, courageous and hardy woman. She was a widow, and almost 50, when she crossed the Missouri River in something similar to a large canoe, called a “dugout” or “pirogue.” She was accompanied by her nine children, her beloved slave Lucy, her sister Phoebe, and Stephan, her husband, and their five children. That’s 18 people in a hollowed-out log, which was usually 15 to 18 feet long. The pirogue or dugout would usually be maneuvered through the water by men using long poles. Although explorers and trappers visited what was to become Missouri in the 1600’s and later, the Coles were the first white families to settle on the South side of the Missouri River. When the family crossed the Missouri River, just before Christmas in 1810, the river was swift and full of ice. Evidently, the men made two trips across the river, the first to carry the women and children to their planned destination, plus swim their stock across the river. The second, to retrieve supplies and provisions that could not fit in the boat on the first trip across the river. That second trip also included dismantling their wagon and bringing it, and probably tools and seeds to the other side of the river. However, the day after they made their initial trip across the river, there was an violent storm. Due to the raging river and ice, the men had to wait eleven days before they could retrieve their wagon and supplies. As the family probably had no little or food with them in the dugout, all they had to eat were acorns, slippery elm bark and one wild turkey. Due to the bad weather, game would have been hard to find, and since it was December, most of the acorns would be gone. That must have been very disheartening for the 18 members of the family. Yet, they all survived! Hannah’s family constructed a small cabin near the river’s edge just up from where Boonville is located today. They lived peacefully for a year or so until there was an Indian uprising, encouraged by the British, known today as the War of 1812 (Yes, the same war when we fought the British and they burned Washington). By this time there were other hardy souls who had crossed the river for a new life in the newly opened territory. Later, for protection, a fort was built on a rocky, very steep bluff that jutted out almost to the river. Looking at the property today, which is still very heavily wooded, you will wonder “how in the world, did they get up there,” as the location had to be reached by climbing through the dense, almost vertical virgin forest and then down a very steep forested hill. Hannah must have been a very giving person who really loved people. During the Indian uprising she invited other families to stay in her fort, providing them a safe place to live. She eventually found teachers to provide education for the children, and preachers to provide hope and inspiration to everyone. The fort had many other uses after the War. Click here for more information

ORPHAN TRAINS Wayne Lammers Collection Orphan trains operated in the US from the mid-1880s to about 1929. These trains were a way that social services agencies, one of the first being the Children’s Aid Society, would gather children together and then put them aboard trains destined for the Midwest where people would meet the children at train depots and decide which child they wanted. This was brought about by the horrendous conditions that many children were living under in New York and surrounding areas, where there was no system of foster care or other alternative care systems as we have today. Between 1854 and 1929, an estimated 200,000 or more homeless and orphaned children were sent west from eastern cities, accompanied by agents. The purpose was to find families that would take in children in a “free-home-placing-out” program instituted by the Children’s Aid Society of New York City, New York. The children were sent in groups of twenty-five to 100 on trains, making stops along the way where they might be chosen by some family who wanted a child or needed extra help. Here are the pictures of three children from Orphan Trains that found homes in the Pilot Grove area. Photos and text from the Carolyn Aggelar Collection. Joseph Hastely Born: 1892 Baptized March 16 1892 in NYFH Chapel Arrived on the orphan train in 1887 in Pilot Grove, Mo. 65348 Anton Gerke Family “Lucy” adopted May 24, 1892. Joseph John Lammers Birth April 30 1892 New York, USA Death July 29 1983 at the age of 91 Bakersfield, Kern County, California, USA Buried Union Cemetery Bakersfield, Kern County, California, USA This young man is JOSEPH JOHN KRAMER LAMMERS (1892-1983). He was one of 23 orphans on the Orphan Train that stopped in Pilot Grove, Missouri. He was from the Sisters of Misericordia (Quebec) Catholic Orphanage in New York City. His biological father was Joseph Kramer (23 yrs. old) and his mother was Lina Leyheim (20 yrs. old), both of Germany/New York City. He was placed in the orphanage when he was only 3 days old on May 3, 1892. He was adopted by Henry and Wilhelmina (Von der Haar) Lammers of Chouteau Springs in 1894. His surname then changed to Lammers sometime after 1900. In those early days, known as John Joseph (Kramer) Lammers. In addition, mentioned, in the Last Will and Testament of Henry Lammers, 21 Feb 1914. (Missouri, Cooper County Record of Wills, Vol E, 1910-1918) He worked on the railroad in Sedalia, Missouri; Flathead, Montana, and San Bernardino, California. He raised his family in Bakersfield, California. He had two sons, Paul and Fred and one daughter Joanne who was born in 1957 when he was age 64. He served his country in WW1 in the Navy and was awarded The Purple Heart for his service. His adopted siblings were: Clemens Augustine Lammers (Alice Lammers Schupp’s dad); Fredrick John Lammers; Henry George Lammers; John H. Lammers; Christina Mary Lammers Bradshaw; Frank Peter Lammers Carl E. Nelson, age 10, got off the Orphan Train in Pilot Grove in 1900 and was adopted into the family of Abraham Brownfield. His mother had left him with the Orphan Asylum Society of Brooklyn at just a few years of age. He attended the funeral of his father, who died September 14, 1900, and not long after that his mother inquired at the Society to take him back. But Carl had boarded the Orphan Train on September 21. Ten years later Carl began a two-year series of correspondence in search of his family through the Orphan Society and the New York Department of Health, writing in pencil on a lined pad asking, “And haven’t you got no record of Mr. Nelson’s childrens? Send me their addresses, for I would like to find them so bad, and my mother, too.” His father was identified but his mother had moved. In 1912 he made a personal plea to the president of the Borough of Brooklyn, and a notice was placed in a local newspaper, which was seen by his mother. Carl returned to New York where he was reunited with his mother and siblings, living there for four years and serving in the Coast Guard. He moved back to Pilot Grove and in 1917 married his local sweetheart, Geneva Martin, and they raised a family of three children in his adopted home town. Carl Nelson is my adopted great-uncle. (Bert McClary) The following account covers the reason for the trains and how the process worked. Wien, Missouri is in Chariton County. By Denis Fessler November 10, 2004 The community of Wien, Missouri was settled in the latter part of the 19th century, primarily by individuals of German heritage. Early residents left their families in Germany, Indiana, and other states, and made their way to the fertile fields of north-central Missouri to establish new lives. But some arrived as children with no families other than perhaps a sibling or two. They came from New York City by way of what we call now the Orphan Trains. The Beginning New York City in the 19th century suffered from the same problems as many large urban areas, then as now – overpopulation, unemployment, poverty, prejudice, drugs, crime. Also at that time hundreds of thousands of immigrants were pouring into New York City each year, often penniless upon their arrival. The Statue of Liberty proclaimed: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses”. And so they came. This exacerbated the already significant problem of homeless children – orphans, runaways, or abandoned. Even some caring parents left their infants on the doorsteps of the wealthy, hospitals, and the churches, hoping they might find better lives. An estimated 30,000 children were abandoned on the streets in New York City in 1854. To help remedy this situation, Charles Loring Brace, a 26-year-old Congregational Minister, founded the Children’s Aid Society in 1853. Children were taken off the street, cared for, educated, and taught a trade. But the need soon outgrew the means. So he took up the plan that Boston had tried ten years earlier – sending orphans “West” on trains to families at the various stops along the way who were willing to adopt them. The first train was sent out on September 20, 1854 with 46 ten-to-twelve-year-old boys and girls. Their destination was Dowagiac, Michigan. All 46 children were successfully placed in new homes. This system endured for 77 years, from 1854 to 1930. By the 1870’s the New York Foundling Hospital, run by the Catholic Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul, began sending orphans to Catholic families. Together, an estimated 150,000-400,000 children were sent West on the trains - from Indiana to Kansas, Minnesota to Texas. As many as 100,000 orphans were placed in Missouri. Some 50 became members of the Wien community. The Process The Children’s Aid Society would send notices to local postmasters along the train’s route announcing the time and date a trainload of orphans would arrive in each community. Those notices would be posted in post offices, stores, churches, and newspapers. Typically 25-35 children were placed on a train under the supervision of only 1 or 2 adults (usually a man and a woman), called “agents” (note the railroad term). Initially the children’s ages ranged from 3 to 17, although later this was narrowed to 5 to 12. Sometimes agents preceded the train by several weeks to organize a selection committee and to screen prospective foster parents. Shortly before the day of departure (oftentimes just the night before) the children would be told that they were going on the train, and they would be bathed, their hair tended to, and given new clean clothing. Then they would board the train, and off they went to their new destiny. It was a long trip from New York, but many of the children were able to see for the first-time fields of crops and animals, orchards, forests and large open areas. Upon arrival in one of the projected towns, they would disembark and go to a meeting place such as a church, hotel, courthouse, opera house, or the train depot, and be lined up on a stage or platform at the front of the room. Usually, a local town “committee” had been at work prior to the arrival of the train, trying to line up good potential families for the expected children. At this time, members of the community would be allowed to visit with (and inspect) the children. If a match-up was made between adult and child, and the local committee and placing agents approved, a written agreement was signed. Then the child would leave the group and go on to his/her “new home”. Contact continued thereafter by semi-annual letters and occasional visits by representatives of the Children’s Aid Society. Overall the system worked very well. The orphans had a better chance at life with placement in a new home “out West”, than they did remaining in New York. Thousands of children were removed from lives on the street or in orphanages and placed in loving families. A 1910 report of the Children’s Aid Society gave the final destinations of the children they had sent out on the Orphan Trains. It listed all 48 States plus the District of Columbia and Canada, with the majority going to the Midwest. There were some problems, but these should not detract from the successes of the Orphan Trains. Children were shipped with no certainty that they would be adopted. Some were not, and returned on the train to New York and the orphanage. The children had to face the ordeal of separation from home, leaving familiar surroundings and perhaps parents, brothers and sisters. Some left New York with siblings but were separated upon selection, often to never see their brothers and sisters again. English-speaking children were placed with foster parents who spoke another language (e.g., German), and vice-versa. Sometimes children went from one family to another, to another. Foster parents were also allowed to return children who did not “work out”. Not all orphans were treated well. A record of the Children’s Aid Society noted that in 1871 more than 3,000 orphans were transported at an expense of $31,638, which included train tickets, food and the agent’s salaries – approximately $10 per child! The New York Foundling Hospital Charles Brace required that the adopting home be Christian. However, there were complaints that Catholic children did not always go to Catholic families. This, in part, led the Catholic New York Foundling Hospital to begin sending children on their own version -- the Mercy Trains. Sister Irene Fitzgerald, a Sister of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul, opened the New York Foundling Hospital to help address the monumental problem of homeless and unwanted children. It was incorporated on October 8, 1869. Three days later on October 11th, the Feast of the Maternity of Our Lady, Sister Irene and her two companions, Sister Teresa Vincent and Sister Ann Aloysia, moved into a small house at 17 East 12th Street. Although they expected to spend three months preparing for the opening of the institutions, an infant was laid on the door-step that very first night. Before January 1, 1870, the proposed opening date, they had received 123 babies. When they finally opened the doors formally, a white cradle was placed in the foyer of their building where mothers could anonymously leave their children to be cared for by the sisters. The story of Sister Irene and The New York Foundling Hospital runs parallel with that of Rev. Brace and the Children’s Aid Society. However, there were a few key differences. The Sisters worked in conjunction with Priests throughout the Midwest and South in an effort to place these children in Catholic families, whereas the Children’s Aid Society requested that the children they placed be given spiritual training but left the choice of religion up to the “adoptive” family. Also, the children from the Foundling Hospital tended to be younger than those from the Children’s Aid Society. Probably the largest difference in how the Foundling Hospital placed their children is that the children were not sent out to be “randomly” adopted, but were “requested” ahead of time by families who wanted a child. Requests would be sent to the New York Foundling Home for a child (for example: a 2-year-old, blue eyed, blond haired girl), and then the Sisters would do their best to find a “matching” child. They would then send the requesting family a “receipt” for the child telling when and where the child would arrive by train. This notice requested that the family be at the station ahead of time so as not to miss the train. For each child, the sisters of the hospital made a suit or dress with his or her name and the name of the new parents pinned on the inside of the back collar. When the train arrived, the new parents were to have their “notice of arrival” with them which they were to present to the Sisters. This notice had a number on it that would match up with a child on the train. Once the match was made, the parents would sign the “receipt” for the child, and they were free to leave with their new child. Not everyone embraced the concept of the Orphan Trains. As noted earlier, there were several problems. In Missouri, a law was passed in 1901 forbidding the orphan trains, purportedly because the Children’s Aid Society “is pouring carloads of children into the state without properly supervising them”. Apparently the law was never enforced because it did not stop the trains. The last of the orphan trains came to Missouri in 1929 . By then most states had passed stricter adoption laws and policies. Many Eastern states and cities assumed more responsibility in caring for orphans, and so the trains were no longer needed. Also, the onset of the Depression made it more difficult for families to take on the responsibilities of additional children. But the Orphan Trains left a lasting legacy. Thousands of children left the streets and orphanages of New York, and other large Eastern cities, to find homes with loving families. It was an inexpensive way out of solving juvenile crime. But its greatest triumph was proving the value of foster families, and for that millions of children have benefited since the last train headed west out of New York City carrying homeless children to a new life of hope. This article is written in memory of my great-great-aunt Christine Harmon, who came to Wien on the orphan train in the 1890 ’s and was adopted by my great-great-grandmother Therese Biegel. THE RAILROADS THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE The first railroad line across Missouri was built in 1859 from Hannibal to St. Joseph. This is known today as the Burlington-Northern line that still runs through New Cambria and Bucklin – most likely the final stop for the orphans who were adopted by families around Wien. It was not until 1868 that the first train bridge across the Mississippi River from Illinois to Missouri was built at Quincy. The other railroad line in the area of Wien, known today as the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe, came down out of Southeast Iowa, crossed the Burlington-Northern at Bucklin and went through Marceline on its way southwest. Stations were ultimately built in New Cambria, Bucklin, and Marceline, but a station was not required for the Orphan Train. The trains made “whistle stops” between stations to pick up and drop off passengers, mail – and orphans. Not everyone embraced the concept of the Orphan Trains. As noted earlier, there were several problems. In Missouri, a law was passed in 1901 forbidding the orphan trains, purportedly because the Children’s Aid Society “is pouring carloads of children into the state without properly supervising them”. Apparently the law was never enforced because it did not stop the trains. The last of the orphan trains came to Missouri in 1929. By then most states had passed stricter adoption laws and policies. Many Eastern states and cities assumed more responsibility in caring for orphans, and so the trains were no longer needed. Also, the onset of the Depression made it more difficult for families to take on the responsibilities of additional children. But the Orphan Trains left a lasting legacy. Thousands of children left the streets and orphanages of New York, and other large Eastern cities, to find homes with loving families. It was an inexpensive way out of solving juvenile crime. But its greatest triumph was proving the value of foster families, and for that millions of children have benefited since the last train headed west out of New York City carrying homeless children to a new life of hope. This article is written in memory of my great-great-aunt Christine Harmon, who came to Wien on the orphan train in the 1890’s and was adopted by my great-great-grandmother Therese Biegel. For More Information : An excellent site that covers these trains is found at Social Welfare Orphan Trains. Many books and articles have been written about the Orphan Trains. One of the best, and a source of much of the information in this article, is Orphan Trains to Missouri, by Michael D. Patrick and Evelyn Goodrich Trickel, published in 1997. It is available in libraries and can be purchased on the Internet. Articles on the Internet that I found particularly good, include: A History of the Orphan Trains by Connie DiPasquale The New York Foundling Hospital Orphan Train Heritage Society of America : The Orphan Train Heritage Society of America, Inc. (OTHSA)—founded in 1986 in Springdale (Washington and Benton counties)—preserves the history of the orphan train era, a period when thousands of children were relocated across the country. 614 East Emma Avenue, No. 115, Springdale, AR 72764 501-756-2780 National Orphan Center Complex : There is a museum and research center dedicated to the preservation of the stories of Orphan Train riders and how they lived once they were placed in their adoptive homes. 300 Washington St., P.O. Box 322, Concordia, KS 66901 Email: info@orphantraindepot.org PBS website with links to Orphan Train information

WORLD WAR I Arch Duke Francis Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, of Austria, were assassinated. This led to a series of events that triggered World War I. The war began in 1914 and ended in 1918 . (1917 ) The single act of shooting Ferdinand and his wife marked the beginning of the war. But there were several basic causes of World War I. These causes were: the growth of nationalism, the system of military alliances that made a balance of power, the competition for colonies and other territories, and the use of secret diplomacy. The United States tried to remain neutral. German submarines sank unarmed passenger ships, and stories of German attacks against civilians convinced Americans to join the Allies. The United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917 . New weapons and new methods of warfare were developed during World War I. The machine gun appeared in the war. The British army first used a tank during the war. The submarine came into use for the first time on a large scale. Air warfare also developed in World War I. The Germans used dirigible balloons, called Zeppelins. In 1915 , Germany first used poison gas. Much of the war took place in trenches and involved hand to hand combat. The western battlefront stretched about 600 miles from the English Channel to the border of Switzerland. The eastern front extended more than 1,100 miles from the Baltic Sea to the shores of the Black Sea. The southern front ran from Switzerland to Trieste for about 320 miles. Agreements made after the war changed the map of the world. New governments appeared in many of the countries that had been involved in the war. World War I did not settle the world’s problems. It just sowed seeds that caused the world to engage in another war less than 20 years later. Five hundred ninety-three men from Cooper County served in the war. Of those, 49 were wounded, six killed and one taken as a Prisoner of War. Ten others died from disease and two were reported missing in action. Company B of the 3rd Regiment Infantry National Guard from Boonville, with 92 men, served in the war under the command of Capt. Carl F. Scheidner. They were called to Federal Service on March 25, 1917 . WORLD WAR I WEBPAGES HISTORY CHANNEL BRITANNICA Atlantic Magazine NATIONAL ARCHIVES—TOPICS NATIONAL WORLD WAR I MUSEUM IN KANSAS CITY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC THE WORLD WAR I DOCUMENT ARCHIVE WORLD WAR I DIGITAL HISTORY FOR CHILDREN ABOUT WWI LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WORLD WAR I

COOPER COUNTY IS FORMED Howard County Has Been Named “The Mother of Counties” Two years after Howard County was organized, there was so much immigration into the southern part of the county that there was a great demand for the division of Howard County and for the formation of another county south of the Missouri River. Because of this demand, the territorial Legislature, on December 17, 1816 , formed the new county of Cooper, which included all of Howard County south of the Missouri River. In 1803, the United States had more than doubled its size with the Louisiana Purchase. The following year, what would one day become the State of Missouri was divided into four districts. On October 1, 1812 , the area was reorganized into five counties and named the Missouri Territory. Although a few changes took place in the Territory between 1813 and 1815 , the biggest change occurred on January 23, 1816 , with the organization of Howard County. Named after Benjamin Howard, the first Governor of the Missouri Territory, Howard County covered more than one-third of the state. It reached all the way to what would become Kansas and Iowa. Howard County would eventually form all or parts of 39 additional counties. Boonville, which was south of the Missouri River across from Franklin, was the county seat. As the population increased south of the river, people began requesting Howard be made into two counties, one on each side of the Missouri River. Finally, after less than three years, Howard was divided. On December 17, 1818 , everything north of the river remained Howard County, and everything south of the river became Cooper County, which was named after Sarshel Cooper and his brother Benjamin, early settlers of the area. The one drawback to the division was the county seat. Boonville was Howard County’s seat of government, but it was on the wrong side of the river. Laid out in 1823 , Fayette became Howard County’s county seat. This territory included what now forms 11 counties and parts of five others. Cooper County was gradually decreased in size by the formation of new counties. By 1845 , the boundaries of Cooper County were as they are today. HISTORICALLY YOURS, by Elizabeth Davis HOW COOPER COUNTY CAME TO BE By Dr. Maryellen H. McVicker The area that is now known as Missouri, was originally divided into 5 counties in 1812 by Territorial Governor William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: St. Louis, St. Charles, New Madrid, St. Genevieve, and Cape Girardeau. These 5 counties had their origins in French settlements mostly along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. On January 13, 1816 , Howard County was created out of portions of St. Louis and St. Charles counties, and eventually encompassed enough land that 39 counties, or approximately 1/3 of the entire state of Missouri, would be formed from the original Howard County territory. Cooper County was one of those counties. It was organized as a separate county on December 17, 1818 . By 1821, Missouri had 25 counties. Eventually there would be 114 counties, and the City of St. Louis. The central Missouri region experienced rapid growth during the first 2 decades of the 19th century. By 1820 , what is now Howard and Cooper Counties, had a population of over 20,000 people, which was about 1/3 of the entire population of the Territory of Missouri. The population of the entire United States was between 9 and 10 million. Now, two hundred years later, over 300 million call the United States their home and approximately 38,000 people live in the two-county region. Cooper County will soon be 200 years old. Cooper County predates statehood. The 1876 Levens and Drake History of Cooper County tells a story about an early county employee: “Sometime during the year 1817 , William Gibson, …was appointed by the Territorial Court constable. …Soon after his appointment, there being some trouble down on the Osage, he was sent there with a warrant for the arrest of a man who had caused the trouble. …As he was on his journey back, and also having an execution against a Man who lived on the road, he stopped at the man’s house and proceeded to levy a tax on the feather beds, as nothing in those days was exempt from levy (taxation—ed.) But, as soon as he made his purpose known, four women, who were the only persons at home, threatened to give him a thrashing, so he was forced to retire as fast as he could, and return with the execution unsatisfied. To add to this, the court only allowed him, for his journey of one hundred and forty miles, which occupied four days, the magnificent sum of twenty-five cents. Mr. Gibson thinking the office not quite lucrative enough to justify him devoting his whole time to its duties, and not wishing to risk his life at the hands of angry women, quietly sent in his resignation…” Some things never change! Notice the size of Howard County compared to Cooper County COUNTIES THAT WERE FORMED FROM COOPER COUNTY Not only were 14 counties formed from Cooper County, many of these counties, in turn, were the parent county to new counties. Cooper County as originally formed comprised the present day counties of Bates (Formed 1841 from Cass County), Benton (Formed 1835 from Pettis County), Camden (Formed 1841 from Benton County), Cass (Formed 1835 from Jackson County), Cole (Formed 1820 from Cooper County), Henry (Formed 1834 from LaFayette County), Jackson (Formed 1826 from LaFayette County), Johnson (Formed 1834 from LaFayette County), LaFayette (Formed 1820 from Cooper County), Miller (Formed 1837 from Cole County), Moniteau (Formed 1845 from Cole and Morgan Counties), Morgan (Formed 1833 from Cooper County), Pettis (Formed 1833 from Cooper and Saline Counties), St. Clair (Formed 1841 from Henry County), and Saline (Formed 1820 from Cooper and Howard Counties). References : Ann Betteridge

THE PONY EXPRESS Depiction of the construction of the first Transcontinental Telegraph , with a Pony Express rider passing below. Source: Wikipedia. March 1861: The Pony Express reduces its route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Sacramento, California When Cooper County mail, that was headed west by stage coach, reached Saint Joe, Missouri, it would be picked up at the Pony Express office by one of the 80 riders, and start on a 2,000-mile wild ride by horseback to the next station. The mail and newspapers would reach San Francisco in 10 days. By stage coach, the same trip would take three weeks! There were 153 Stations, some in hotels and some in shacks. The rider would ride 10 to 15 miles before changing horses and then continue his ride to the next station and a new horse. Five hundred horses were used for each round trip. The ride was not comfortable for the rider or the horse. Bad weather, rough terrain and Indians were constant threats. Ad in the Sacramento Union, March 19, 1860 “Men Wanted" The undersigned wishes to hire ten or a dozen men, familiar with the management of horses, as hostlers, or riders on the Overland Express Route via Salt Lake City. Wages $50 per month and found.” On June 16, 1860, about ten weeks after the Pony Express began operations, Congress authorized a bill instructing the Secretary of the Treasury to subsidize the building of a transcontinental telegraph line to connect the Missouri River and the Pacific Coast. The passage of the bill resulted in the incorporation of the Overland Telegraph Company of California and the Pacific Telegraph Company of Nebraska. While the lines were under construction the Pony Express operated as usual. Letters and newspapers were carried the entire length of the line from St. Joseph to Sacramento, but telegrams were carried only between the rapidly advancing wire ends. On October 26, 1861, San Francisco was in direct contact with New York City. On that day the Pony Express was officially terminated, but it was not until November that the last letters completed their journey over the route. In June, 1860 Congress authorized the incorporation off the Overland Telegraph Company of California and Pacific Company of Nebraska. The Pony Express lasted only 19 months from April 1860 to October 1861, but it successfully connected the East to the West in record time. Sources: Adapted from National Geographic National Park Service National Historic Trail

OTHER AREA HISTORICAL RESEARCH SITES River, Rails & Trails Museum and Visitor's Center 100 East Spring Street Boonville, Missouri, 65233 Phone: 660 882-3967 Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 4pm year-round, and 10am - 2pm Saturday and Sundays April through October The Visitor’s Center and Museum is located in the former Hirsch Wholesale Grocery Company warehouse, which was built in 1902 alongside the MKT Railroad tracks. In 2016 the City of Boonville converted the building into the new Visitor’s Center and Museum. The museum houses a half-scale replica of a Lewis and Clark keelboat, a Mitchell wagon, and railroad memorabilia including a model train display. A model steamboat, items from the sunken “Missouri Packet” steamboat and general Boonville history items are on display, as are items from the former Kemper Military School. There is also a children’s fort play area and several interactive displays. It is an excellent stop for information about Boonville and the Boonslick Region. South Howard County Historical Society and Museum 110 E. Broadway New Franklin, Missouri 65274 Phone: n/a Facebook The South Howard County Historical Society was organized in 1989. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to the collection, preservation, and exhibition of documents, papers, and objects relative to the history of Howard County, MO, and to promote an interest and appreciation for local history. SHCHS meets four times a year on the first Tuesday of the following months: March, June, September, and December. Our 7:00 p.m. meetings consist of a short business meeting and a program devoted to our local history. The public is always invited! Boonslick Historical Soc iety P.O. Box 426, Boonville, MO 65233 Phone Number: n/a Facebook History Focus: All aspects of the Boonslick Region, especially Howard, Cooper and Saline counties from the late 18th through mid-20th century. Funding: Non-profit, memberships and donations. Boone’s Lick Road Association P.O. Box 8076 Columbia, MO 65205 The Boone’s Lick Road Association (BLRA), incorporated in Missouri in 2011, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mission is twofold: First, we want to preserve and tell the fascinating stories of the first major road into the heart of Missouri. Secondly, we hope to secure federal recognition of this road as a National Historic Trail. We aim to be the most comprehensive and authoritative source for information and research into this historic trail. Arrow Rock State Historic Site 39521 Visitor Center Drive Arrow Rock, MO 6532 Phone: 660-837-3330 Email: ArrowRockStateHistoricSite@dnr.mo.go Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily March through October. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday to Sunday, November through February. Free admission.

MAJOR MISSOURI/COOPER COUNTY EVENTS 1874-1993 Map of Missouri showing cropland devastation by the Rocky Mountain locust plagues of 1866 and 1874, State Historical Society of Missouri Map Collection. (1874) “The GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE” began in western Missouri as the first swarms of locusts from the Rocky Mountains traveled eastward eating everything in its path. (Courtesy of the Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “Small flying grasshoppers, known as Rocky Mountain locust, hatched in an unusually large number in the spring and by the summer of 1874 , the locusts began their travel eastward in search of food. Kansas and Nebraska were their first stops and heavily hit, devouring crops in large swaths stretching from the interior of Canada to the southern border of Texas, including the western regions of Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri. The following spring of 1875 , trillions of the locusts hatched, a number unseen since that time. The large swarms continued until 1877 , causing an estimated $200 million in crop damage. Not only did the locusts eat crops, it ate leather, wood, sheep’s wool, and reportedly the clothes off a person’s back! Vivid firsthand accounts told of the clouds that hailed grasshoppers, falling to the ground like snowflakes. Missouri offered $1 a bushel for locusts collected in March in an effort to stop the insects from multiplying. Later, farmers planted more resilient crops such as winter wheat that matured in the early summer before the migration of locusts. It’s uncertain what led to the end of the plague, but researchers have studied and theorized what caused this fortunate mass extinction of the Rocky Mountain locust.” (1896) JESSE JAMES TTRAIN ROBBERY. The infamous James train robbery at Otterville on July 7, 1896 received little newspaper attention since it was at the same time as the battle of Little Big Horn out west. Keith Daleen, a Civil War reenactor and historian, has researched the eight robbers who boarded the stalled train at Rocky Cut, robbed the passengers and the railroad safe, and disappeared to divide the loot at Flat Creek. They netted about $15,000 from the robbery, a nice sum in those days. Their names were Jesse and Frank James, Cole and Bob Younger, Clell Miller, Charlie Pitts, Bill Caldwell (aka William Stiles) and Hobbs Kerry. Jesse had many friends in the Otterville area and would hide out in an old building on the edge of town when he came to Otterville. So, the gang was very familiar with the area and the best escape routes. Frank James was jailed for a very short time in the Cooper County jail, but was released on bond. Kerry was the only one convicted and jailed. The others were later convicted of robbing the Northfield Bank in Minnesota and were known then as the James/Younger Gang. Later, the others were convicted of robbing the Northfield Bank and jailed. There is a descriptive marker at “Robber Cut” at the Brownfield Roadside Park on old Route 50 overlooking the place where the robbery occurred. You might like to take a video “tour” of the old Cooper County Jail and see the luxurious accommodations that Frank and Hobs Kerry enjoyed as a guest. Historic Cooper County Jail - YouTube Marie Oliver Watkins stands behind the original Missouri flag that she designed, 1943 circa, (P1103) State Historical Society of Missouri. (1913) The OFFICIAL MISSOURI STATE FLAG designed by Marie Watkins Oliver, was signed into law. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) In 1908 , the Daughters of the American Revolution appointed Marie Watkins Oliver chairperson of the committee to design a flag for Missouri. Oliver gathered information about how other states had designed their flags and began work on a design centered on the Missouri coat of arms signifying Missouri's independence as a state. The blue stripe in the flag represented vigilance, permanency and justice. The red striped represented valor and the white stripe represented purity. Oliver asked Mary Kochtitzy, an artist from Cape Girardeau, to paint the flag on paper for a State Capitol viewing in 1908 . The bill to make the flag official failed to pass twice because of a competing design. After the Missouri State Capitol fire of 1911 destroyed Oliver’s original sample, a second flag made of silk was completed and Governor Elliott Woolfolk Major signed the bill to make Oliver’s design the official state flag. The Missouri State Flag. Adopted by State Legislature State Seal Sheriff John Grothe and Deputy James Morton with captured moonshine still in St. Charles, 1924, (S1083) State Historical Society of Missouri. (1920 - 1933) PROHIBITION era begins across the U.S. affecting many of the German immigrant-owned beer companies in Missouri(Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “Beginning in 1882 , Missouri counties and towns passed local option laws to turn communities dry. By World War I, over 90 of the state’s 114 counties were dry through these laws. On January 16, 1919 , Missouri ratified what would become the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which banned the manufacture and sale of alcohol. Under the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act, Missouri's flourishing alcohol and wine industry took a significant step back, particularly German-immigrant owned breweries. After a decade of inefficient enforcement, and with the deepening of the Great Depression, the 21st Amendment, which repealed the 18th Amendment, was ratified in 1933 .” Boonville had a very successful brewery, Griessmaier & Roeschel Brewery/Winery, which opened in 1874 and closed in 1878 . After prohibition, another brewery known as the Haas Brewery, operated from 1933-1942 . So Cooper County did not have any “legal” establishments put out of business during prohibition. There is no record about where, or if, County residents obtained “adult beverages” during prohibition. 1929 Stock Market Crash (Courtesy of the Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) St. Louis Soup Kitchen, 1939. Charles Trefts Photographs (P0034) State Historical Society of Missouri. (1929) The stock market crash led to the Great Depression of the 1930s. (Courtesy Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “The Great Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as “Black Thursday,” started in the late Fall of 1929 when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange collapsed. The crash caused an economic downfall throughout the state as Missouri businesses struggled to survive. About 300 Kansas City industrial companies closed by 1933 and other cities and towns across Missouri would suffer from the fallout of the crash. The fallen markets, alone, did not cause the Great Depression. Only 16 percent of Americans were in the market. However, it caused widespread panic that worsened an ongoing recession, it lowered consumer spending, and contributed to the banking crisis”. The “Great Depression” was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world. It started after the stock market crash in October 1929 when over one million investors were wiped out. Farmers suffered during the Depression from drought, insect swarms and lower farm prices. Many family farms were lost to creditors during this time. This is a good concise explanation of the Depression. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression Another explanation from The Balance https://www.thebalance.com/great-depression-timeline-1929-1941-4048064 (1937) Missouri voters approved a CONSTITUTIONAL AMMENDMEENT to create the Missouri Conservation Commission. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “On July 1, 1937 , the constitutional amendment creating the Missouri Conservation Commission took effect, creating a politically-appointed, science-based conservation agency with exclusive authority over forests, fish and wildlife. Over the next 75 years, the “Missouri plan” allowed the state agency, Missouri Department of Conservation, to build what is acknowledged as one of the nation’s top conservation programs. Prior to the creation of the commission, Missouri’s forests, fish, and wildlife resources were being quickly depleted in the state”. (1939) CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS (by Elizabeth Davis) FDR’s Alphabet Soup Comes to Boonville Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) was Governor of New York when Black Tuesday hit on October 29, 1929 . The Great Depression followed and lasted the better part of ten years. In 1932 , the Democratic Party talked FDR into being their candidate for President of the United States. In his acceptance speech, he promised the American people a New Deal. Elected by a landslide, FDR took office on March 4, 1933 . Five days later he called the 73rd Congress into emergency session. By the end of the month, Congress had passed the Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) Act and it had been signed into law. On April 5, FDR issued Executive Order 6101 authorizing a program which would become known as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). But this was just one of FDR’s New Deal programs to get the unemployed trained and back to work. At the time, twenty-five percent of the population was unemployed. His first program: recruit the young and unemployed, create a peacetime army, and fight to save our nation’s natural resources. On January 21, 1935 , The Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 was passed by joint resolution and signed by the President on April 8. FDR signed Executive Order 7034 on May 6 of that year which established the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It was renamed the Work Projects Administration (still known as the WPA) in 1939 . Both these programs took the unskilled and unemployed young men of this country, put them to work on public projects, and taught them skills for the future. Because most of the President’s programs became known by their acronyms, they were collectively referred to as FDR’s “alphabet soup”. The CCC Campsite was active in Pilot Grove from 1939-1942 . The CCC program dealt mostly with land and conservation while the WPA put up thousands of public buildings around the country. In 1939 , the WPA came to Boonville. Sumner School was built for the black students in the community. That changed in 1959 when desegregation became law and all students went to the same school. The Emergency Conservation Work (EWC) Act, Senate Bill S.598, was introduced on March 27, passed both houses of Congress and was on Roosevelt’s desk by March 31. Executive Order 6101, dated April 5, authorized the program which would become known as the Civilian Conservation Corps. Robert Fechner was appointed director and an Advisory Council consisting of representatives of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Interior, and War, was created. The first enrollee signed up on April 7, and, ten days after that, the first CCC camp opened. By July 1, over 275,000 men occupied 1,300 camps in all 48 states, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Single men who were between the ages of 17 and 25, out of school and unemployed were eligible for enrollment. The pay was $30-a-month plus food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. Mandatory monthly allotment checks of $25 were sent to their families. For those who had no family, the funds were held in an account for him until discharged from the program. Communities close to these camps profited as well. They averaged $5,000-a-month additional revenue which saved many small businesses from going under. Almost immediately, two important modifications became necessary. Enlistment was extended to about 14,000 American Indians who were living well below the poverty Level. Over time, the program helped more than 80,000 of them reclaim land that had once been theirs. About 25,000 locally experienced men (LEM) were also authorized to enroll in order to train inexperienced men with axes, shovels, and other skills they needed to perform their jobs. This had the added benefit of allowing the locally unemployed to be eligible for enrollment. On May 11, 1933 , President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6129 which opened enrollment to about 25,000 Spanish American and World War I veterans with no age or marital restrictions. They performed duties in conservation suited to their age and physical condition. Nearly 250,000 veterans were given belated opportunities to rebuild their lives after serving their country. With unemployment down and World War II just around the corner, CCC was on its last leg. Congress never actually abolished the CCC program; they just stop funding it. CCC officially went out of existence on June 30, 1942. A partial summary of the work accomplished by the CCC between 1933 and 1942 includes: the erection of 3,470 fire towers, construction of 97,000 miles of fire roads, 4,235,000 man-days fighting fires, the planting of more than three billion trees, and the arresting of soil erosion on more than twenty million acres of land. During those eleven years, nearly 3 million men found employment in more than 2,650 camps. While 137 camps are listed in Missouri, it should be noted that Pilot Grove is the only location listed in Cooper County. According to the CCC Legacy website (www.ccclegacy.org ) a camp was established in Pilot Grove on October 17, 1939 . (SCS-34, 3762). However, records indicate that a second CCC camp was established in Pilot Grove on June 30, 1941 . (SCS-38, 1771) Thanks to previous research done by Judy Shields, it appears the first camp was outgrown and a second camp was built either adjourning or close by the first one. When completed, the first camp was closed. When asked, Shields said she had been unable to identify any original buildings from the camp. A bronze plaque has been provided by the Friends of Pilot Grove and was dedicated at Pilot Grove’s City Park by city officials in 2018. HISTORICALLY YOURS, by Liz Davis (Published Jan 31, 2018) (1945) Missouri ratified the state's fourth and current constitution. (Courtesy of the Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “The first Missouri Constitution was written in only 38 days and was adopted July 19, 1820 . Subsequent drafts were drawn up because of changes related to the state, such as population size and major events like the Civil War. The fourth Missouri Constitutional Convention took place in Jefferson City on September 21, 1943 , and took just over a year before it was approved. Voters ratified the changes made to the Missouri Constitution on February 27, 1945 .” (1984) Missouri voters pass a one-tenth-of-one-percent sales tax to fund state parks and soil and water conservation efforts. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “Missouri had the second highest rate of erosion in the nation and a statewide park system in much need of repair at the time the state sales tax was passed. The tax portion for soil and water conservation measures assist agriculture landowners through voluntary programs developed by the Soil and Water Districts Commission. The other portion of the tax revenue provides most of the budget for operation and development of state parks. The tax has a sunset clause of 10 years, and has been renewed by more than two-thirds majority of Missouri voters since 1984 .” (1990) The first section of the 240-mile Katy Trail along the Missouri River opens at Rocheport for walking and bicycling by the public. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “The Katy Trail is the longest rail-to-trail in the US, running largely along the Missouri River for 240 miles. It was built on the former corridor for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad and was converted to a walking and bicycle gravel trail by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources with a large donation from Edward D “Ted” and Pat Jones, and supported by a Missouri trail advocacy group. The Katy Trail takes visitors on a journey along part of the trail explored by the Lewis and Clark’s expedition. There are more than two dozen trailheads and four fully-restored railroad depots along the trail, as well as the state’s oldest and beloved Burr Oak “Big Tree” at McBain in Boone County. The Burr Oak was a young tree when Lewis and Clark traveled by it. Construction of the Katy Trail began in 1987 . The first section of trail at Rocheport was opened in 1990 . The trail’s 25th anniversary was celebrated in 2015 .“ Katy Trail history began more than a hundred years ago during the golden age of railroads. In 1865 the Union Pacific Railroad built the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad and established the network as the Southern Branch. The route was also commonly called the KMT, (Kansas, Missouri, Texas) and eventually the Katy. The last KATY train to leave Boonville was in 1986 . Through legislation, land grants, and donations, the first section of the Katy Trail opened near Rocheport in 1990 . Since then, more sections have been added, extending the trail to its current 240 miles. The trail winds through some of the most scenic areas of the state with the majority of the trail closely following the Missouri River. Katy Trail is also part of the American Discovery Trail, and has been designated as a Millennium Legacy Trail, and was added to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Hall of Fame in 2008 . (1992) Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved terms limits for state legislators by amending the Missouri Constitution. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) The Missouri State Legislative Term Limits, also known as Amendment 12, was on the November 1992 ballot. The law, approved by voters, caps service at eight years (two terms) in the Missouri House. (1993) Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “The Great Flood of 1993 destroyed farmland, homes, and other properties through the Midwest with some towns never recovering. In 1992 , the Midwest experienced an unusually wet Fall causing high soil moisture. To make matters worse, the area was hit by persistent storms, sometimes lasting four days at a time. Water began to fill the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and their tributaries between May through September 1993 , causing major flooding in Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. The Great Flood resulted in over 50 deaths and billions of dollars of damage. Crest was 37.10 feet.” (2019 ) Second worst flood of the Missouri River and the longest flooding event in Missouri River history. May 31, 2019 , the Crest was 33.73 feet.

FUNERALS & FUNERAL HOMES American funeral traditions can vary so much among communities. Regardless of the individual's beliefs or societal group, funerals have one thing in common; they are meant to give people an opportunity to honor and say "goodbye" to someone they loved. Mourning the Dead: Funeral Practices in 1870 until 1900 Since the beginn ing of time, death has played a role in the lives of every person. Disease, the lack of proper nutrition, the lack of sanitary conditions, childbirth, and the lack of medical knowledge often played a role in the average life span. In pre-Civil War America, mourning and funerals were deeply personal. The Civil War, however, brought new meaning to death in America. The war’s casualties brought about the need for creating new practices in the funeral industry, and by the end of the Civil War, those new practices had changed the way Americans mourned their loved ones. The 1900s saw funeral practices, and mourning customs started to shift even more to private affairs. To better understand the shift in customs and practices, it is essential to understand where they started. In pre-Civil War America, death, though familiar and a part of everyday life was deeply personal. Funerals took place in the home, with women and men from the community assisting the family in preparing the body for burial by washing and laying out the body. Someone would sit up with the body for three days to ensure that death had occurred, and the men would dig graves. In other words, only those who knew the family closely would actively participate in ensuring a proper funeral. However, the Civil War would actively change the practice. Mourning customs, however, did not change as much during the war era. According to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, men were not exempt from mourning customs. They did, however, have it significantly easier than women. The appropriate mourning attire consisted of a dark or black suit with a black armband or hatband for men. Mourning expectations for widowers did not exceed three months. Unlike their counterpart, widows remained in mourning for two and a half years. Dress for women in mourning encompassed three stages – Deep Mourning, Second Mourning, and Half Mourning. In a deep mourning period, women wore black dresses with no trim, and the only acceptable jewelry was jet—furthermore, women in deep mourning worn long veils initially made of crepe. Due to health concerns, however, the crepe veils were discontinued. Each subsequent mourning stage lessened the restrictions upon women based upon colors they could and could not wear. Additionally, mourning was dependent upon the individual that died. "Mourning should be worn" said a professed authority, For a husband or wife, from one to two years, though some widows retain their mourning for life. Queen Victoria of England wore black dresses for the rest of her life after the death of her beloved husband Albert. For a parent or grandparent, from six months to a year. For children above ten years of age, from six months to a year; for those below that age, from three to six months; and for an infant, six or seven weeks. For brothers and sisters, six to eight months. For uncles and aunts, three to six months. For cousins, or uncles or aunts related by marriage, from six weeks to three months. For more distant relatives or friends, from three weeks to as many months, according to the degree of intimacy. Additionally, there are rules about receiving visitors, sending and receiving mail, and invitations and announcements for the deceased. The Civil War Brought the Advent of Embalming This process preserved the body to prevent decomposition from occurring immediately, enabling bodies to be shipped from the battlefield to home. In many cases, the embalming process occurred on the battlefield, and the body was delivered to their home’s front door. In April 1865 and the two-week viewing and travel schedule that finally took him home to Springfield, Illinois, the death of Abraham Lincoln created a powerful marketing tool for the idea of a non-decomposing body. This new marketing tool paved the way for the undertaker to earn an income by selling his services. The late 1800s through to the early 1900s saw professional undertakers’ creation, with schools for morticians as they now would be called forming around 1882. Funerals moved out of the home and into newly created funeral parlors. Caskets became more of what we know today, and the process and responsibility for preparing the body for burial no longer fell to the women of the community. Though, in rural areas, this remained the exception. One such funeral home is the Diuguid Funeral Home, located in Lynchburg, VA. According to their website, the Diuguid Funeral Home is the second oldest funeral home in America and the first one in Virginia. Started by Sampson Diuguid, a hand-carved furniture maker known for his craftsmanship, the Funeral Home started by happenstance rather than design. As his reputation grew for his furniture, Diuguid started receiving requests for coffins. On an exciting note, the Diuguid’s are responsible for designing and creating a church truck, which in the funeral industry allows for the casket to move up church aisles without the need for pallbearers to carry it. The cost of funerals in 1870 varied from anywhere from $30 to $75, or more for the very wealthy. Source: The Solitary Historian Note: In sending letters of condolence, announcements of death and sending letters of acknowledgment from received letters, the paper was always edged in black. Source: Schmitt, “Home Funeral History,” For Fashionable Mour ning By 1900, funeral practices and mourning customs started to shift. Though most of the mourning clothing remained the same, there are slight differences in the styles. Fabrics also changed, and it was increasingly popular to purchase mourning clothing instead of making it at home. Additionally, prices did not necessarily reflect change so much as it did the financial standing of the family paying for the funeral. Funeral homes tended to charge those who were well off more for their funerals than someone who could not afford it. In fact, in Lynchburg, VA there was an Overseer of the Poor who often paid for the services provided by the funeral at a significantly lower cost. The ledgers of the Diuguid Funeral Home in 1900 changed significantly from a hand-written ledger to a pre-printed ledger that recorded more information such as cause of death and much of the information that can now be found on death certificates. In fact, their records are so detailed that should a record not exist for an individual with the State records it is highly possible that Diuguid’s records contain what any researcher or genealogist may need to locate. Source: The Delineator, October 1900. A Special Architectural Feature In the 1800's and early 1900's, until about the time of World War I, funerals were mostly a quiet family affair held at home. Funerals were held in the parlor with family and a few close friends in attendance. Since families tended to be larger than today, the second floor of most homes was devoted to sleeping quarters. In many homes at this time, the stairs to the second floor went straight up, reached a small platform (or "landing"), and then, the stairs turned to the left with about 4-5 additional steps to reach the second floor. When a family member died, they were placed in a casket and carried downstairs. If the pallbearers were not very careful, they would accidentally bang the casket into the wall when they turned, and descended the stairs, thus damaging the plaster on the wall. An interesting architectural idea helped save many walls from damage. It was called an "alcove" and was a recessed area in the wall at the top of the stairs, just before the turn to the left was made. A small portion of the wall, about waist high, was gently curved inward, about six to eight inches, so that when the casket came down the stairs to the landing, it could be moved into the alcove without damaging the wall. When not in use, the alcove was used as a decorative area containing a sculpture, a vase of silk flowers or other decorative items. Very few alcoves are left today as they were later plastered over and made to look like a regular wall. Here is a photo of a Cooper County home that chose to keep the alcove, but covered it entirely with a painting. No longer do families build homes with funerals in mind, and no longer does the deceased remain in the home until burial. Funeral Services have altered significantly the way that families mourn. The death of a loved one went from a very private showing to a more reserved public affair. Source: Editor, Barbara Dahl Note: In sending letters of condolence, announcements of death and sending letters of acknowledgment from received letters, the paper was always edged in black. Source: Schmitt, “Home Funeral History,” FUNERAL HOMES IN COOP ER COUNTY MISSOURI Currently, there are six active Funeral Homes in Cooper County. They are: Howard Funeral Home Boonville (formerly Davis) H T May & Son Funeral Home Boonville Markland-Yager Funeral Home Boonville Meisenheimer-Page-Dady Funeral Home Pilot Grove Meisenheimer-Page-Dady Funeral Home in Otterville (Goodman and Boller) William Wood (Thatcher-Wood) Funeral Home in Boonville Funeral Homes/Chapels Cooper County funeral homes seem to have changed ownership infrequently, but no one is quite sure about the date of founding or the date the name was changed to a new owner. One thing that is unique about the buildings where they reside, is that in the early to mi d 1900's, some of the funeral homes also served as the local hardware or furniture store. Davis Funeral Home was started by John Davis of Boonville. He sold it to Chris Howard who had been an employee. Chris renamed it to Howard Funeral home. John Davis said he always wanted to be an undertaker in the funeral business. Before William Wood Funeral Home came into being, is was Goodman and Boller Funeral Service. It was located in downtown Boonville at the Hittner building. William Wood served his apprenticeship under Mr. Goodman and Mr. Boller in 1947. William Wood then purchased a funeral home in Aurora, Mo. when Mr. Goodman died around 1954, Mr. Boller asked William Wood to move back to Boonville and become his partner. The funeral home had relocated to 517 Fourth Street by then where it still resides. Years later after Mr. Boller died it became Thacher-Wood, Inc. Fun Fact: My mom took me to the funeral home in Pilot Grove and there was a cute little you tea set that I really wanted. I was around 5 years old and would occasionally still suck my thumb. My grandfather promised me the tea set if I quit and I immediately did! I loved that tea set! Source: Kathy Murdock Thacher-Wood Funeral H omes Berry Thacher was born in Odessa, Mo and was childhood friends of the folks that owned the funeral home there. He spent a lot of time at the funeral home. Later in life after successful sales careers in Michigan and Texas he decided that he would like to buy a funer al home in a small town in Missouri and raise a family there. He heard that there was a funeral home for sale in Boonville, Mo at that time called Stegner Funeral Hom e located at 629 E. Morgan Street. Berry could not get off work to visit the funeral home so his wife, Frances Jorgensen Thacher made the trip to Boonville from Kansas City by herself to look at the facility and talk numbers, etc. She went back home and they decided that they would purchase the facility although it needed quite a bit of repair and cleaning. This was in the 1950s when they moved to Boonville with their son, Frank B. Thacher II who was in the first grade I believe. Berry and Frances began working on the funeral home and made the second floor of the house into an apartment where they lived until 1971 when they moved to a house on High Street. They lived in Boonville for the rest of their lives and are buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery. Some years later, perhaps in the mid 1960s, Berry and Frances bought a small funeral chapel in Prairie Home which was owned by Albert and Lorene Hornbeck. The Hornbeck’s owned a Hardware store which was next door to the funeral home on the square in Prairie Home. They were getting older and wanted to just focus on their hardware business. It became known as the Hornbeck-Thacher Funeral Chapel. It was open for many years until it burned down and the chapel was moved to another location in downtown Prairie Home. It closed some years later. Before the advent of cell phones, fax machines, call forwarding, etc., the funeral business entailed a great deal of time sitting inside beside a phone waiting for it to ring. A lot of time was spent being “on call”. Berry and Frances and Bill and Ruth each were wanting to have more free time while still attending to business. In the 1960s I believe they got together and talked about forming a corporation in which they would have more “time on/time off” while still taking care of business. They would keep the individual funeral homes but would work together. Berry always told the story that they consulted one of the larger funeral enterprises in Kansas City and they said “well it hasn’t been done, but it’s a great idea and you should try it”. So Thacher-Wood was born with William and Ruth Wood and Berry and Frances Thacher as the co-owners. In subsequent years, Frank Thacher and Charles Murdock (The Woods son-in-law) went to Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science and came back to Boonville to join the family corporation. In the year 2000, owners Charley and Kathy Murdock and Frank and Julie Thacher sold the corporation to Stewart Enterprises. Stewart Enterprises bought the name rights and it continued to be called Thacher-Wood Funeral Homes. Today the facility at 629 E. Morgan is a private home owned by Tanner and Casey Wendleton Bechtel. Other information: Kathy Wood Murdock and Julia Tuttle Thacher were both certified Funeral Directors by the State of Missouri. We were not licensed embalmers. Source: Julie Thacher This is a late picture of the “Princess” Theater in Bunceton. It was built in 1925 as a movie theater seating 233 people for silent movies. Once the “talkies” became popular, it was closed. It later became the HT May & Sons, Funeral Chapel and a furniture store. Later, it became a laundromat and finally a bar. Today it has been converted to apartments. Mentally paint the building white and add some gold paint to the ornate trim and you can imagine what the building looked like in the late 1930’s. Source: Kathy Wood Murdock May Funeral H ome's History The May funeral home was originally started in 1922 by my grandfather H.J. May’s uncle H.R. Martin. He operated the H.R. Martin funeral home until his death in 1925. I was told his original building waa the old victory cleaners building on Morgan street in Boonville. I believe Taylor’s Bakery now owns that space. It was at the time that my grandfather Holwell J. May (H.J.) took over the business. According to my father, my grandfather had some sort of agreement with James Stegner of Stegner funeral home to rent a small portion of the funeral home as needed, at times most of the funerals in the black community were held at the church. My father H.T. May said that at that time when you would come in the side door at what later became the Thacher funeral home, there was a small room where the black families were able to view but not hold services. This continued until the funeral home was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Thacher in the 1950s, then my grandfather H.J. May moved the business to 814 Porter Street in Boonville which is next to the current YMCA swimming pool. The business operated at this location until 1969. My father H.T. went to Worsham Mortuary School in 1960-61 in Chicago, IL. He then came home to Boonville to help his father run the business in Boonville. In 1969, the current day location at 405 Sycamore was purchased and the business was moved there. H.J. May died in 1974 and my father then took over the running of the business. I went to Dallas Institute of Mortuary Service in August of 1979 and graduated in August of 1980. I worked with my father until his death in 2005. At that time my mother Estelle May and I continued the operation. My son Howell J. May II then entered the Kansas City Kansas School of Mortuary Science and graduated in July 2011. Currently we operate the Boonville location. By: Thomas May History of Hays-Painter Funeral Home Bob Painter was born in Bellair and raised on a farm near there. He graduated from Pilot Grove High School in 1932 and farmed on his family farm. Bob became interested in being an undertaker. In the late 1930s, he enrolled in, and graduated, from the Kansas City School of Embalming in Kansas City, Kansas. After graduating, he worked in the Kansas City area for Newcomers Funeral Homes. Later, he worked in Concordia for a funeral home there. When Mr. Stoecklein retired, Bob joined Stoecklein–Hays Funeral Home in Pilot Grove. They owned a funeral home in Otterville. In 1940, Bob became a partner with Earl Hays, forming Hay s -Painter Funeral Home. The Pilot Grove Facility was a Funeral Home and Furniture hardware store. They sold furniture, paint, linoleum, wallpapers, appliances, and even lawnmowers. This business model was common for funeral homes. The funeral home also offered an Ambulance Service. The equipment was a station wagon with an ambulance cot and red lights. Most people were transported to the hospital in Boonville or Columbia. The Boonville police would wait at the bottom of Golf Link Hill and escort the ambulance through town. The Ambulance part ended in 1974 when the business was sold, and Cooper County established an Ambulance District at the hospital. After Pearl Harbor, Bob enlisted in the Navy and, being 29 years old, was made a Pharmacist Mate. He was over a hospital section in Scotland treating the wounded. Note: In the Navy, Morticians were often assigned to Fleet Marine Service (combat medic services). In 1950, he married Jo Gettel, who he met in Kansas City; they had two children, Pan and Bobby. In 1960, Mr. Hays retired. Bob continued as Hay’s Painter until 1974, when he sold the business to Wayne Woodard of Woodard Funeral Homes in California, MO. The store was closed and made into the casket display room and Senior Center. Carl Bo Hayne worked with Bob in the early 60’s and into the 70s. Andy Newman also worked and helped on many things. In 1976, Wayne Woodard sold the Funeral Home to Ed and Ken Misenhiemer; they ran the business, opening a home in Tipton in the 80s. They died, and the business was sold to the Hueletts, they operated the business until 2020. It was sold to the Page-Dady Funeral Home. By: Bob Painter Funeral Homes Provided Ambulan ce Service Back in those days the ambulance service was also provided by the funeral homes. Frank said the “ambulance” was a station wagon a nd they only carried a bottle of oxygen and a cot in it. Berry said they only had one person die in transit in all the years they provided that service. I believe that the cost for transporting someone was $5. As medical care changed so did the ambulance business. Cooper County took over the ambulance business and Berry Thacher and William Wood were more than happy to donate the keys to their 2 station wagons to the County after many years of making ambulance calls all over the county at all times of the day and night! I can’t remember the exact year but it could probably be accessed from the Cooper County Ambulance Service. Local Funeral Ads Steve Twenter shared these ads from his collection from the “Advertiser”: July 31th, 1953 May 28th, 1937 May 28th, 1937 July 25th, 1952 July 25th, 1952 July 25th, 1952 July 21th, 1939 July 25th, 1941 July 25th, 1941 July 26th, 1946 July 25th, 1941 July 26th, 1946 July 26th, 1940 July 26th, 1940 July 26th, 1946 July 26th, 1940 July 26th, 1940 July 26th, 1940 July 26th, 1940 July 27th, 1945 July 27th, 1945 July 26th, 1940

THE MEXICAN WAR In May, 1846 , a call was made for one company from Cooper County to join troops already in Mexico. Sixty-one men volunteered. The company was organized and assembled in Boonville, where they were trained in military duty by their Captain, John C. Stephens. They departed May 28, 1846 , on the steamer L. F. Linn, for St. Louis, where they were to be armed and equipped. When they arrived in St. Louis, they were ordered to report to Jefferson City. When they got to Jefferson City, they were told to be in readiness and were then allowed to return home. Even though they never saw any battle, the volunteers were welcomed home by large, cheering crowds. The 1865 Missouri Constitution bans the practice of slavery. Missouri was still very much a divided state over the issue of slavery at the end of the Civil War. Many citizens, including Radical Republicans led by Charles Drake, fiercely opposed the institution of slavery and pushed for a new constitution. Among the amendments were the emancipation of slaves and determining voting privileges for loyal citizens to the Union. The ordinance introduced at the constitution convention in St. Louis to abolish slavery in the state passed overwhelmingly with only four delegates voting against it. Missouri’s document that made slavery unlawful came three weeks before the U.S. Congress proposed the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which banned slavery in the country. The loyalty oath, which also was adopted by the 1865 Missouri Constitution would exclude all but pro-Unionists from public life, including the fields of teaching, law and politics, also went into effect until the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Missouri’s loyalty oath two years later. Daniel Boone Camp No 42 "In the Name and by Authority of the United Spanish War Veterans …" These are the first words on a Charter that hangs on the northwest wall of the first floor lobby of the Cooper County Courthouse. Americans have fought in many wars since winning their independence in the Revolutionary War in 1775-1783. The War Between the States (or the American Civil War as many call it), World War I, and World War II are the ones that most often come to mind. But there have been others. The Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and the China Relief Expedition are three others. Like veterans of other wars before and since, veterans of the Spanish American War, which officially ended in early 1899, formed organizations to keep in touch with those they fought with, and to remember those who didn't come home. The three largest of these organizations (the Spanish War Veterans, the Spanish-American War Veterans, and the Servicemen of the Spanish War) merged in 1904, becoming the United Spanish War Veterans. By 1906, all the other organizations had merged with them as well. Although the organization existed primarily in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, there were other "camps" across the country. On May 20, 1928, the Daniel Boone Camp No. 42 in Boonville, Missouri, was chartered by the United Spanish War Veterans. Signed in the organization's national headquarters in Washington, D.C., on June 28, 1928, there were 20 members at the time Camp No. 42 was created and each veteran's name is written on the charter. The United Spanish War Veterans ceased to exist in 1992 with the death of its last surviving member, Nathan E. Cook. Often referred to as a Spanish-American War veteran, Cook, was actually a veteran of the Philippine Insurrection. He had lied about his age and enlisted at the age of 16. Cook died just before his 107th birthday at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

POLITICS AND EARLY ELECTIONS POLITICS AND EARLY COURTS Settlers immigrated slowly into the Boonslick area from 1810 to 1815 . The War of 1812 had ended when peace was established with England, and a treaty of peace was finally made with the Indians in 1815 . Soon afterward, a steady and increasing stream of people immigrated into the area. These was a steady flow of people for many years afterwards. Some families came in the spring of 1815 . But in the winter, spring, summer, and autumn of 1816 , they came like an avalanche. Many families came from Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. A few came from the middle states and the northeast. Many came from Kentucky. Public land in the area was surveyed for the first time. In 1816 , Howard County was organized, and covered a large portion of the area. There was no official Cooper County at this time; it was included in the area of early Howard County. The first Circuit Court of Howard County, which was the first Court held in this section of the state, was held at the house of Joseph Jolly in Hannah Cole’s Fort, located in what is now east Boonville. The Court opened on July 8th, 1816 . Proceedings of the first term of court: James Munroe was appointed coroner of Howard County. Commissioners were appointed to locate the permanent county seat, which was located at Hannah Cole’s fort. A Grand Jury was appointed. The first license to operate and run a ferry was issued to Hannah Cole. Harper C. Davis was licensed to conduct a tavern at Kincaid’s Fort. The first road was laid out by the authority of the Court. The First Election At the first election held in the county, the electors voted at Head’s Fort, McLean’s Fort, Cooper’s Fort, and Cole’s Fort. The first civil action taken by the newly elected court members was Davis Todd versus Joseph Boggs. A taxation rate for the County was approved for the year 1816 . Five marriage certificates were recorded that same year. Cole Versus Barton Major Stephen Cole was fined one dollar by Judge Barton, for contempt, for misconduct in the presence of the court. Cole objected to paying the fine, but he thought he would be able to get even some time and at last he paid it. His time for settling the score came sooner than he expected. That same afternoon, Cole, who was a Justice of the Peace, organized his court on a log in front of the fort. As Judge Barton was returning from dinner, he stopped in front of Cole and leaned against a tree, watching the proceedings of the justice and smoking his pipe. Cole looked up, and assuming a stern look, said, “Judge Barton, I fine you one dollar for contempt of my court, for smoking in its presence.” Judge Barton smilingly paid his fine, and went to open his own court. He admitted that he had been beaten at his own game. Cooper County is Formed Two years after Howard County was organized, there was so much immigration into the southern part of the county that there was a great demand for the division of Howard County and for the formation of another county south of the Missouri River. Because of this demand, the territorial Legislature, on December 17, 1818 , formed the new county of Cooper, which included all of Howard County south of the Missouri River. This territory included what now forms 11 counties and parts of five others. Cooper County was gradually decreased in size by the formation of new counties. By 1845, the boundaries of Cooper County were as they are today. Missouri Flood of 1826 Up until 1826 , Franklin was the most important business center of the Boonslick area. In 1826 its population was almost 3,000, making it the second largest town in the state, next to St. Louis. In the spring of 1826 , the Missouri River overflowed its banks, and flooded Franklin. Some of the residents moved to New Franklin, which was on higher ground, while others relocated to Fayette, and many to Boonville. EARLY ELECTIONS The first election held in Cooper County after its organization was on the second day of August, 1819 . It was held to elect a delegate to Congress from the Territory of Missouri. John Scott received 127 votes, and Samuel Hammond 21 votes. The next election held in the county was to select delegates to the state convention. This election was called by the Governor, to frame a constitution for the state of Missouri, and was held on the first, second, and third days of May, 1820 . The total number of votes of Cooper County was 819. The third election was held on the 28th day of August, 1820 , to elect a member to Congress and to elect county officers. The number of people who voted in Cooper County was 972. The records of the court show that during the year 1819 , there were four peddlers and six merchants within the limits of Cooper County, and that the total amount of revenue received as county taxes for 1819 was $488.34. All of the early court sessions were held at William Bartlett’s boarding house, called the Tavern of Boonville. This was a crude log cabin but answered well the purpose of those early days. The first County Court held in Cooper County was on January 8th, 1821 . Its first session was held at the house of Robert P. Clark, on High Street, in Boonville. The County Court continued to perform the duties of both county and probate courts until 1827 when the Probate Court was separated from the County Court. A two-story brick courthouse was built in Boonville on land given to the county by Asa Morgan and Charles Lucas, St. Louis lawyers who made the plans for Boonville. It was completed in 1823 . In 1840 , the first courthouse was torn down and a second one was built in the same location. Some of the bricks were re-used in the building of the second courthouse. The present courthouse, in the same location as the first two, is the third and largest one built by the county. EARLY COOPER COUNTY ELECTIONS At the election on the first Monday in August, 1826 , John Scott and Edward Bates were candidates for Congress. Scott had a majority of 124 in the county. This was the first election in which party lines were drawn. Before that, men had voted for the man whom they considered best qualified, not because he belonged to any political party. At the election in November, 1828 , the county voted for Andrew Jackson as United States President over John Adams, by a majority of about 230 votes. In 1832 Jackson was re-elected, and received a large majority in Cooper County. The county gave a small majority to Martin Van Buren for President in 1836 . The county remained Democratic until 1840 , when the Whigs made a clean sweep. The Whigs were quite active in their campaigning. The Democrats, however, made little or no display. They condemned the Whigs and said they were noisy, boisterous and unseemly. The county remained Whig as long as the Whig party remained in existence. The last candidate on the Whig ticket was General Scott. The campaign of 1844 was lively with much activity on the part of the Whigs. Henry Clay of Kentucky was the nominee of the Whig party, and James K. Polk of Tennessee was nominated by the Democratic party. Howard and Cooper Counties had much influence in politics. Seven governors of Missouri were at one time or another, residents of Cooper or Howard Counties. These governors were: John Miller, governor from 1825 to 1832 ; Lilburn W. Boggs, 1837-1841 ; Thomas Reynolds, 1841-1844 ; Sterling Price, 1853-1857 ; Claiborne F. Jackson, 1861 ; Hamilton R. Gamble, 1861-1864 ; and Lon V. Stephens, 1897-1901 . References: Discover Cooper county by Looking Back by Ann Betteridge www.mogenweb.org/cooper/Biographical/Memorabilia of Cooper County, Missouri.

ONLINE GENEALOGY RESOURCES Cooper County Specific Web Sites Cooper County Courthouse - This has Cooper County information but is basic. Genealogy Trails - Genealogy Trails History Group – Cooper County The Library - History of towns, villages, and hamlets in Cooper Co. Cooper County Origins - This is a state/county genweb site and has a lot of excellent information if one really searches, and reads on the site. It was maintained by James Thoma, and he did a wonderful job of listing Cooper County history. There are cemetery lists and burials, churches, schools, marriage, census, wills and probate records, maps, information on Cooper County communities, and much more. Several ways to access the information. General Genealogy FREE Websites Find a Grave ObitTree - N orth American obituaries Missouri State Archives - (Secretary of State) To request an appointment email archives@sos.mo.gov or call (573)751-3280 Library of Congress WikiTree - Free research Genealogy - Free research State of Historical Society of Missouri - Historic Missourians, Newspaper collections, general research Family Search - This is a free Mormon web site of information, and can be very helpful, but one needs to verify information taken from them as they are known to have a lot of errors and inaccuracies on family information Missouri Birth & Death Records Fee-Based Genealogy Sites There are several fee-based sites. Some have a free trial or guest period. Ancestry.com - This is a huge data base of family tree information as well as other historical records. Indicate your interest and they often have ½ price specials for 6 months. My Heritage - Same as with Ancestry.com Genealogy Bank - This is a data base with old newspapers

MILITARY WAR RECORDS MoGenWeb Rosters of Missourians who served in MISSOURI UNITS during the following wars: War of 1812, Black Hawk's War 1832, Heatherly War ca 1836/7, Osage War 1837, Mormon War 1838, Seminole Wars 1836-1837, Iowa War (Honey War) Late 1830s, Mexican War 1846 - 1848, Southwest Expedition 1846-1865, Spanish American War 1898 Cooper County Military Wars Military Records pertaining to Cooper County, Missouri for the following military eras: Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Indian Wars, Civil War, World War II, World war II and beyond can be found. CIVIL WAR ALONG KANSAS/MISSOURI BORDER Civil War on the Western Border: The Missouri-Kansas Conflict, 1854-1865 Documents related to the hostilities that shook the Missouri-Kansas border region before and during the American Civil War. The collection includes photographs, letters, diaries, maps, and military records from over 25 contributing institutions. ALL WARS UP TO AND INCLUDING WORLD WAR I MISSOURI VETERANS Civil War Soldiers and Veteran’s information (Missouri) Civil War in the Ozarks Missouri Sons of Confederate Veterans National archives Available to request copies of older military records CIVIL WAR, SPANISH AMERICAN WAR, WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II –UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI The Military and Mizzou, 1861-1946 From the archives of the University of Missouri, the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II are covered as well as Lt. Enoch Crowder and the National Defense Act of 1916 and the ROTC. NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION While most of their holdings are not online, a variety of military records, from photos to documents to searchable databases are available. WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties: World War II Casualties Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Personnel: World War II Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 – 1946: WWII Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 - 1946 (Reserve Corps Records): World War II Prisoners of the Japanese File, 2007 Update, ca. 1941 - ca. 1945: WWII Naval Group China Muster Roll and Report of Change Punch Cards, 1942 – 1945 WORLD WAR I/NATIONAL VETERANS World War I in Missouri: WWI Military Service Cards: A Brief History Soldiers' Records: War of 1812 - World War I WORLD WAR I/MISSOURIANS KILLED IN THE GREAT WAR Missourians Killed in The Great War Honor States.org HonorStates.org can be used to find killed veterans in WWII, Korea and Vietnam as well. WORLD WAR I/MISSOURI VETERANS Missouri Doughboys Prominently mentions Cpl. Rudolph Forderhase of Howard County The WWI and National Museum Memorial WORLD WAR II/MISSOURI VETERANS WORLD WAR II RESEARCH GUIDE The impact of World War II on Missourians can be seen in the State Historical Society of Missouri's collections of newspapers, letters, diaries, records, photographs, and memoirs written during or about wartime military service. The collections also offer materials pertaining to civilian life during wartime and information on veterans' organizations. These records help us to understand the effects the war had on Missourians fighting overseas as well as those providing strength on the home front. WORLD WAR II/MISSOURI CASUALTIES Missouri Casualties in WWII Honor States.org WWII Army Casualties: Missouri