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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

THE BEEKEEPER'S BEEKEEPER Mr. Brengarth Brengarth Honey Label Brengarth Family Beekeeping was unknown in the Western Hemisphere until after the first European settlers arrived. Bees were imported from England and Germany to the colonies where beekeeping became an important home industry. In 1641, bee colonies in New England were sold for 5 pounds apiece, the equivalent of 15-days labor by a skilled craftsman. By the end of the 18th century, bees were fairly common throughout the eastern half of the continent. Often bees would swarm and form a colony in a hollow tree. As bees slowly moved westward, they would swarm and often form a colony in a hollow tree. Early settlers were always on the lookout for a “bee tree” to provide sweetening for their food, as sugar was not readily available in early central Missouri. The Missouri Indians were very familiar with “bee trees by the time the early settlers arrived. Native Americans referred to honey bees as “the white man’s fly, and regarded their presence as indicating the coming of white settlers.” (source USDA Agriculture Handbook number 335) Eventually, some who had become successful working with bees, became backyard or commercial beekeepers. The central Midwest now has modest honey production. However, the increased use of chemicals used in farming has been very detrimental to honey bee colonies. In the last 15 years bee diseases seem to have become much more prevalent and the use of neonicotinoids has been fatal to honey bees and many other insects such as bumble bees and butterflies. Colony Collapse Disorder in the U.S. The number of managed colonies in the United States for honey production has been in decline since the 1940s and these losses have increased since the early 2000s. Colony losses during winter are normal within beekeeping, however the rate of honeybee colony deaths, higher losses during the summer, as well as the inability to find a determinate cause of these deaths has caused alarm. In 2006, some beekeepers reported losing 30-90% of their hives. Total colony loss reached 45% between 2012 and 2013, up from 28.9% and 36.4% in previous years. While annual losses above 30% are not out of the ordinary, the symptoms of these colony losses do not all match with those normally produced by known pests and pathogens. The amount of loss experienced as well as uncertainty around the cause of the loss lead to the coining of the term Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) by the beekeeping community. Source: Wikipedia Musings of a Lady Beekeeper In 1970, before we had children, we decided to try beekeeping as a hobby. We lived on 10 rented acres near Waukegan, Illinois. I had grown up in the suburbs of Milwaukee, so country living was new to me. We had a small garden and also raised chickens, rabbits, peacocks, dogs, cats and two baby raccoons. But our favorite pastime was "working" our bees. We started with two hives and 15 later years we were up to 45 hives. Some of the hives were the result of swarms caught from our own bees. Many came from removing bees from live and dead trees, inside and outside of buildings, and a few strange places. One of the strangest places was on the roof of a local one-story bank where the bees were draped over the front door. At the time, I was working as an Extension Agent. The office occasionally got calls from people who needed to have bees removed, and we, or two others in the area, would hurry to help when a call came in. One day a call came and no one was available to help. As my husband was an excavator with his own business, I volunteered, and dashed home, got my "bee shirt," veiled hat and gloves, plus a hive body and cover, my smoker and a bee brush, and hurried to the bank. They provided the ladder and I was able to capture the bees by gently brushing them into the hive body with a frame of sealed honey inside. (They only stayed in the box because I was fortunate to capture the queen. The hardest part was getting the box, bottom board and cover down from the roof intact.) My bee recovery made the front page of the Grayslake paper. We never charged for our service, although some were very time consuming, because we felt that the bees were our reward. In 1992 we made a huge mistake, which we still regret. We had run out of hive bodies for our bees. We answered an ad in the paper from someone who was "getting out of the bee business". This very pious man sold us enough hive bodies for 8 more hives of bees, assuring us that his bees had been healthy, but that he was just "too old" to keep bees and wanted to sell his equipment. We added swarms to the new "used" boxes in our largest bee yard which had about 25 hives. Up until this time, our hives had all be very healthy and we had never lost a hive. Soon, we discovered that these hive bodies were not "disease free" and our bees started to diminish in population. The state bee inspector checked the hives and said that they must be destroyed - bees and all, that nothing could be done to save them. We learned that the disease that they had contracted, was “foul brood, ”but we did what we were told to do. We had to burn the hives with the bees in them. I want to cry, even now, when I remember what we had to do. Our enthusiasm for beekeeping diminished greatly after that. When we moved to Missouri in 2006, we again wanted to try beekeeping. The kids were grown and gone, we were retired, and we had 11 acres in the country. What could go wrong? Well, farming practices had changed a great deal since 1992. Many more dangerous chemicals are being used now than we had experienced in Illinois. Using pre-emergent or post-emergent chemicals, spraying by plane, and nicotinoids (chemicals with nicotine in them that protect the plants, but confuse the bees when they collect the nectar, so they cannot find their way home). This is believed to be the major cause of “colony collapse”. We bought two "boxes" of bees after my husband constructed two new hive bodies. I think we paid about $60 for each two-pound box of bees with a queen. (Since bees are almost an endangered species today, the same 2-pound box today would probably be closer to $200.) We caught two swarms and added them to the new hives. The first winter we lost one hive, but do not know why. That Spring we added two new hives from our swarms. The hives that summer were loaded with honey and we took off half of it in mid-July. A week after extracting the honey I went to do a weekly check on the bees and found that all the bees were GONE, and so was the rest of the honey. The hives were empty except for a few sealed egg cells. Evidently three things might have happened: 1) the bees ingested the nicotine from the nectar of the crops that surround us on three sides, or 2) they were caught gathering nectar when the crops were sprayed so they could not find their way home and died 3) "robber" bees cleaned out what was left of the honey and took it their hives located elsewhere. Since bees can travel as far as two miles in search of nectar and honey, this seems a reasonable conclusion. After three years of trying our hobby of beekeeping for the second time it was time to call it quits. What I miss most about beekeeping, beside working with the bees, and working as a team with my husband, is the wonderful aroma that greets you when you open a healthy hive to inspect it or to gather honey. It is hard to describe - wonderfully fruity, sweet, fragrant and clean. Impossible to describe perfectly, but I really miss the joy of being greeted by it. By: Barbara Dahl, Editor

THE WAR OF 1812 IN THE BOONSLICK Cooper County men have volunteered for service in many wars; however, only two have taken place on Cooper County soil: The War of 1812 and the Civil War. Both left both sad and bitter memories with relatives of those wounded or killed in battle. Missourians were involved in three brief wars between 1837 and 1847 . These were: The Seminole War in Florida in 1837 , the Mormon War in 1838-39 , and the Mexican War in 1846-48 . Many Cooper Countians volunteered for service in these wars. The War of 1812 in the Boonslick By Michael Dickey Many people associate the War of 1812 with the burning of the white House in 1812 by the British. But a lesser-known related War of 1812 also involved the early settlers in Missouri and various tribes of Indians. On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain. The War of 1812 is one of the least remembered wars of the United States, and Missouri’s involvement is even less known. Though forgotten, the war had significant consequences for the nation’s history. On August 24, 1814 British troops occupied Washington DC burning the White House, the capitol building and several government buildings. Francis Scott Key wrote the National Anthem following the unsuccessful British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor on Sept. 13-14, 1814. The British encouraged the Indians to fight on their side, promising the Indians that they would help them retain their land that was quickly being settled by Americans. The Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815 resulted in a crushing defeat for British forces. In 1959, it gave us the number one hit song on the Billboard Hot 100, “The Battle of New Orleans” by singer Johnny Horton. General Andrew Jackson defeated the Creek Indian Nation in August of 1814 and gained national notoriety for his victory at New Orleans. His war record propelled him to the presidency in 1828 and set the tone of the nation for decades to come. (1812) Forts are Built Hannah Cole, Stephen Cole and their families came to the area of Cooper County that is now Boonville in 1810, nearly two years passed before the War of 1812 broke out. Before this time, the life of the settler was fairly quiet. Nature supplied them with nearly all that they wished to eat or drink. When a place of shelter for his family had been provided, the settler could spend his time hunting and fishing. These were pleasant pastimes for him and they also provided some of the necessities for life. This life of ease and rest was suddenly changed by the beginning of the war. Great Britain declared war in 1812 against the United States. The Indians wanted to keep their land, and joined the war on the side of Great Britain. The settlers immediately began to build forts for their protection. A few months after the first Hannah Cole’s fort was built, a band of about four hundred Indians suddenly made their appearance in the neighborhood. When they came, there were two men by the name of Smith and Savage out hunting. As the hunters were returning, the Indians killed Smith and then scalped him. Savage was able to return to the fort. As the Indians were chasing Savage, they came in full view of the fort. Several of them could have been killed. Some of the people in the fort wanted to kill the Indians; however, Hannah Cole wisely told them not to shoot. The following day some of the settlers captured a French boat, which came up the river loaded with powder and balls to trade with the Indians. The settlers immediately took possession of the twenty-five kegs of powder and five hundred pounds of balls which the boat contained. After the settlers had crossed their families and prisoners to the north shore, in the captured boat, the settlers let the Frenchmen return down the river in their empty boat. The settlers did not want the French to arm the Indians and have the Indians use those weapons against them. As the dominant tribe in Missouri, the Osages had grown increasingly restless as more white settlers were moving West onto their lands. The once friendly American Indians had become belligerent and very dangerous as they did not want to lose their traditional hunting ground. The government was concerned about the safety of the settlers and warned them to move closer to St. Louis for protection. However, the settlers replied to Governor Howard that this area of Missouri was now their home and they were prepared to defend it. When the Declaration of War with England reached St. Louis in July, 1812 there were only 178 soldiers of the regular army in all of the area that would later be named Missouri. Soon after the war broke out, Territorial Governor Benjamin Howard wrote to the settlers in the Boonslick area, urging them to move to the eastern part of Howard County for protection. The settlers defiantly defended their choice to stay on the frontier, and replied to the Governor: “We have maid our hoames here & all we hav is here & it wud ruen us to Leave now.We be all good Americans, not a Tory or one of his Pups among us. & we hav 2 hundred Men and Boys that will Fight to the last and we have 100 Wimen and Girls that will tak there places wh. makes a good force. So we can Defend this Settlement wh. With God’s help we will do.So if wehad a fiew barls of Powder and 2 hundred Lead is all we ask.” It has been said that if it had not been for the lead mining in Cooper County, which provided ammunition for the war, we would have lost the War of 1812. Fort Cooper had been built as a potential center of defense for the Howard county area in case of an Indian uprising. Sarshall Cooper was chosen by 112, including many prominent citizens, as their Captain. He was a natural leader and skilled woodsman, and his knowledge and judgement were trusted by all his men. Cooper’s Fort became the center of the Howard County military community. The settlers who had crossed to the north side of the river returned to their homes in the spring of 1813 , but the Indian troubles continued for another two years. A Heroine of Cooper's Fort The most dangerous time of the war were last six months in 1815 . The settlers were crowded into the forts, had little food to eat, and it was too dangerous to go out of the fort to search for food. The Death of Sarshall Cooper . A sad event of the war was the death of Sarshall Cooper after whom Cooper County was named. One evening, he was sitting at his fireside with his family holding his youngest child on his lap. Other children were playing around the room and his wife was sitting by his side sewing. It is thought that a single Indian warrior crawled up to the fort and made a hole just large enough for the muzzle of his gun to go through the clay between the logs. The noise of his work was drowned by the howling storm. The Indian fired his gun and killed Sarshall instantly. He fell to the floor amidst his horror-stricken family. Sarshall Cooper - small picture of the framed fabric from the vest he was wearing when he was shot. Family heirloom of Joyce Cooper Campbell. A treaty of peace between England and the United States was signed on December 24, 1814. The Indians were advised of the peace treaty; however, they continued to carry on independent warfare, without the help of the British, to try to keep their land. It was not until 1833 that every Indian claim to land titles in the state of Missouri were eliminated. THE WAR OF 1812 IS OVER . Once the War of 1812 was over, and the threat of Indian hostilities gone, the population began to increase quickly. Like most settlers, those who came in the 1820’s to 1830’s, chose to settle close to the Missouri River, but soon started to venture into the heartland of Missouri. Many of the native Americans came from Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas, seeking cheap land. The two countries that contributed greatly to the population increase were Germany and Ireland. In the year 1820, only about 12% of Missouri’s population was foreign born. Below are photos of a flintlock rifle located in the Arrow Rock Museum and two of many musket balls found at the site. Bottom left photo is at the Museum at Arrow Rock with Museum Administrator, Mike Dickey along with my friend Gene Smith. Mike Dickey and Jean Smith viewing long rifle used during War of 1812 Wayne Lammers Collection Flint Lock Rifle used during War of 1812 Wayne Lammers Collection War of 1812 Thoughts It is hard for most of us today to imagine what life was like living in a fort during the the War of 1812 to 1815 . We live in a time of ease when we can heat and cool our homes at a touch of a finger and order anything we desire on line and have it delivered. Try to step back in thought to the period of 1810 to 1815 , when the early Missouri settlers were living in forts for protection from large bands of Indians who wanted their ancient hunting grounds back, and were being encouraged to believe that the English would get it back for them IF the Indians helped to defeat (eliminate) the Americans. Early settlers traveled to central Missouri, at that time Howard County, on the North side of the Missouri River, most likely in covered (Conestoga) wagons. When they arrived, Fort Cooper already contained some single men, a few military and frontiersmen and a few families. Imagine that you are part of a family of two adults and five children. You have brought with you only the most basic cooking utensils, quilts and bedding, tools, guns and ammunition, food for the trip and anything else that you can stuff into the wagon. You probably have no money with you, as there is nothing to buy, but you will probably have some barter items. You settle into a small cabin in the fort, usually just one room. You heat the log cabin and cook your food with heat from the fireplace. It is hot in the summer and probably drafty in the winter. Some of the problems you will encounter: There are many different personalities in a small enclosure. Cooperation and harmony must prevail, especially in times of attack. Everyone must perform the duties assigned to them, even when fear and panic set in. When under attack, which could last for a few days or a week or more, all the animals must be kept inside the fort or they would be killed by the Indians. Feeding the animals for a long period of time, cleaning up after them, and removing their waste is not a pleasant or easy task. Human waste was a problem during times of attack. Other sanitation problems must be considered: how to get clean water for drinking for people and animals, clean water for cooking, cleaning people – especially children, and for cleaning wounds when someone is injured or shot. There would not be a doctor at the fort so someone would hopefully have some knowledge of herbal remedies, and have dried herbs set aside for emergencies, sickness and for tea. Bandages were often made from rags, old clothing and/or fluff from cattails or even milkweed. Forts were usually in the center of a cleared area so enemies could be easily seen. Unfortunately, the pioneers could also be easily seen by the Indians. Large forts, sometimes with 200 or more people, require a lot of food. Wild game normally furnished a majority of their food, but being unable to get out and hunt safely, sometimes meant that the animals inside had to be sacrificed to feed the people. Wild animals were not accustomed to the noise of constant gun fire and would leave the area if frightened, reducing food sources. Nuts, dried tree fruit and berries could be gathered, dried and stored during safe times for emergencies. Some grain crops such as corn, wheat and oats were grown, but during peaceful times the deer, birds and other animals would often feast on the almost ripe grain and the Indians could also set fire to it and it would be destroyed. Sometimes, harvesting the grain could be hazardous if an attack might occur. Corn bread and sourdough bread were probably made, but the choice of what to use for flour could be problematic, although certain types of acorns and nuts could be made edible and used for flour. Even sturdy clothing and shoes tend to wear out. Often men’s and some women’s clothing were made from deer skin, as that was the only material available. If native flax or nettles were available near the river bank, they could be soaked and pounded into workable fiber and eventually be made into a type of cloth. But, without a loom or spinning wheel, it would be hard to make the fibers into cloth. Elderly, or widowed women with small children, also had a hard time doing their share of work without a husband. In many cases there was no official at a fort who was licensed to marry people, but marriages were still performed. Life was a challenge, but those early settlers survived and thrived, and we all owe then a great debt of gratitude for their courage. These hardy pioneers truly were the “salt of the earth.” Barbara Dahl, Editor

RAILROADS IN COOPER COUNTY SOME INTERESTING BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT RAILROADS IN COOPER COUNTY In the mid 1800’s, railroads became very important for the economic growth of many communities. The people in Cooper County knew they needed railroads to grow and prosper. They eagerly voted bonds to aid in constructing railroads, and land was purchased for four main railroad lines. If a railroad went through a town, the town usually gained population and businesses. The trains were fast and comfortable, making stage coaches unnecessary and soon after trains arrived in the County, stagecoaches ceased to be needed. There have been two major railroads that have traveled through Cooper County through the years. The major, longest lived and last railroad, was the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, also called the MKT, and the more minor railroad was the Osage Valley and Southern Kansas Railroad. The MKT, first known as the southern branch of the Union Pacific, was organized at Emporia in 1867. Work was begun on the road at Junction City, Kansas, in the summer of 1869, and in November the line was completed to Council Grove, Kansas, a distance of 37 miles; in December it was finished to Emporia, Kansas, 24 miles farther; in Feb., 1870, it was completed to Burlington, Kansas, 30 miles farther down the Neosho valley; in April another 30 miles took the road to Humboldt, Kansas, and on June 6 the line entered the Indian Territory, (present day Oklahoma), thus securing the sole right of way, with a land grant, through that territory. The Osage Division of the MKT Railroad began as a railroad known as the St. Louis and Santa Fe Railroad, Missouri Division which was incorporated on April 20th, 1869. Completed in 1871, the railroad was a single-track, standard gauge steam railroad that ran approximately 38 miles from Holden, Missouri (in Johnson County) to the Missouri/Kansas state line. As the St. Louis and Santa Fe Railroad, Missouri Division quickly went bankrupt; the Katy Railroad officially completed the purchase of the charter on May 29th, 1872. However, involvement may have dated back to 1870 (at the inception of the line) when Levi Parson and Francis Skiddy set into motion their plan to see that the Katy Railroad would be the first to reach Indian Territory, and the only one allowed to tap the riches of Texas and the Southwest. To this end, Parson and Skiddy set into motion a much larger plan that included the chartering of the Neosho Valley and Holden Railroad in Kansas. The charter for the Neosho Valley and Holden Railroad in Kansas was issued on May 7th, 1870. On the same day, the Neosho Valley and Holden Railroad entered into an agreement allowing for the merger and consolidation of the company with the KATY Railroad. The Neosho Valley and Holden Railway Company was effectively a paper railroad and did not construct any railroad. The original plan of the Neosho Valley and Holden Railroad was to connect in the east with the St. Louis and Santa Fe Railroad, Missouri Division, and continue west To Emporia. However, the rail line never reached Emporia; it only reached Paola, Kansas (where it connected with the Missouri Pacific Railroad). This created an orphan line with no connection to the main lines at either Emporia, Kansas or Sedalia, Missouri. Research by: Harold Kerr II THE MKT COMES TO COOPER COUNTY Katy Engine exiting the Boonville Katy Bridge circa 1980. From the Wayne Lammers collection. As for development in Cooper County Missouri, on January 1, 1872 a contract was awarded for building the Northeastern Extension— under the name of the Tebo Neosho Railway—to Boonville in Cooper County, to Fayette in Howard County, and on to a junction with the North Missouri (Wabash) at Moberly, in Randolph County, Missouri. The MKT track reached Pl easant Green in Cooper County on April 24, 1873 and by May 18 it reached Pilot Grove. The end-of-track reached Boonville on May 31, 1873. A celebration to mark the completion of the Northeastern Extension was held in Boonville on July 4, 1873, after the rail reached Fayette, Missouri on June 20, 1873. United States Congressman John Cosgrove was on hand for this celebration. Before 1870, between Sedalia and Boonville, a span of thirty-four miles, there was hardly a house to be seen. Pilot Grove was laid out very soon after the railroad arrived, on May 30, 1873. Pleasant Green came into being on June 28. Clifton City, on September 29, 1873. These three towns became busy major centers of commerce for several years until the railroad was disbanded. Once the railroad no longer came through the towns, population dropped and businesses closed. One interesting spot along the rail was south of Boonville, a place called “Lard Hill.” Old timers in the area described how this came to be known by this colorful name: an old Irish lady who was untidy in appearance, had a shack full of children and no husband. Allegedly, a KATY train killed the family pig one day, and, since the pig was in an area where it had no business being, and was a terrible looking thing, the claims agent valued the loss at $5.00. The woman was extremely upset about this and went about to get revenge. She rendered the fat from the pig and every time she heard the train whistle for the Boonville train, she would send her children out to put lard on the tracks. After several times of the train slipping and sliding to make its way, the railroad gave the woman more money for her loss. Yet, nothing appears in the records to validate this story. Another story holds that disgruntled farmers in the area larded the rails as they were unhappy with the rail coming through their land. The MKT ran until 1989 when it was succeeded by the Missouri Pacific Railroad (a.k.a MoPac). In 1997 the MoPac became the Union Pacific. Sources: https://legendsofkansas.com/railroads3.html http://genealogytrails.com/mo/bates/railroad.html https://www.abandonedrails.com/bryson-to-paola THE KATY RAILROAND AND THE LAST FRONTIER, V. V. MASTERSON, © 1978 UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS, pp 150, 193-194, 198, 209-210 Katy Railroad Historical Society - There is a Katy Railroad Historical Society Museum located in Denison, Texas. They are a 501c3 organization. Memberships are available on the website. Their webpage: https://katyrailroad.org/ Their phone number: 903-327-5966 Boonville Katy Depot & Caboose #134. By Wayne Lammers on January 14, 2019. Caboose painting by volunteers on Sept. 14, 2017 by Wayne Lammers. OTHER RAILROADS IN COOPER COUNTY Map from 1877. MKT and river bridge (started 1873) top left, and Osage Valley and Southern Railroad (started 1865-68) shown in the middle of the map coming out of Boonville. Rails along the Missouri River had not started by 1877. The other line that came to Cooper County was the Osage Valley and Southern Kansas Railroad. The Southern Kansas was one of five railroads to receive their charter from the first legislature in Kansas in 1855. The capital stock of the Southern Kansas was fixed at $3,000,000, and the company was given a franchise to build a road "from the Missouri state line due west of Springfield to the west line of Kansas Territory." A. J. Dorn, William J. Godfroy, James M. Linn, Joseph C. Anderson and others were named as the incorporators, and the act stipulated that work was to begin on the road within nine years. On October 17, 1860 a convention met at Topeka with about 125 delegates present, representing 20 counties of the territory. The principal work of the convention was the adoption of a resolution to the effect that a petition be presented to Congress asking an appropriation of public lands to aid in the construction of railroads in Kansas as follows: A railroad from the western boundary of the State of Missouri, where the Osage Valley & Southern Kansas railroad terminates, westwardly via Emporia, Fremont and Council Grove, to the Fort Riley Military Reservation, among other issues. In 1867 a company was organized under the name of the Osage Valley & Southern Kansas Railroad Company, proposing to construct a railroad from Boonville on the Missouri river to Fort Scott and $100,000 in bonds was asked of Bates County with a donation of the right of way. Chicago was to be the northern terminus, an "air line" to "just where you like it." The county officials did not seem to catch onto this scheme and no action of the bond question was taken. The Osage Valley and Southern Kansas Railroad was chartered in 1857 by the Missouri Legislature to run from a point on the Pacific Railroad near present day Tipton, Missouri, to Emporia, Kansas. The charter was modified in 1858 to include an extension north to Boonville, Missouri. Grading on the line was completed to Versailles, Missouri, in 1861, but was halted due to the American Civil War. After the war the Boonville to Tipton portion was completed in 1868 and leased to the Pacific Railroad. In 1870, portions of the line were graded from Warsaw, Missouri, north to Cole Camp, Missouri. Construction ended in 1872, when the line defaulted on bond payments. The Warsaw portion became the property of Benton County, Missouri, and was later used, in 1880, as the roadbed for the narrow-gauge Sedalia, Warsaw and Southern Railway between Sedalia and Warsaw. The line between Tipton and Versailles, Missouri, was reorganized in 1880 and 1881, as the Boonville, St. Louis and Southern Railway, and was then leased to Jay Gould's Missouri Pacific Railway. Boonville to Versailles RR, brakeman Earl Hays, on October 21, 1911. Two engines hit head on at 7:10 AM From the Wayne Lammers collection From the Wayne Lammers collection On January 13, 1880, a train wreck occurred on the Boonville Branch. The wreck occurred at 4:30 in the afternoon about three miles north of Tipton. Five box cars next to the engine jumped the track, tearing up the rails for about a hundred yards. There were passengers and baggage, as well as empty cars on the train, but these did not come off the track. No one was injured. The engineer, named Rosenhahn, gave the engine full steam when he saw that the head box car was trying to come onto his tender. This caused the coupling to break and the car broke away. Four of the broken cars were empty and one was full of merchandise headed to Boonville. No passenger or merchandise was late to arrive, due to good management of the situation. The line operated until June 1935, when successor Missouri Pacific Railroad asked permission of the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the line. The last train operated was to Versailles on April 30, 1936, and the entire property was torn up except for a bit at the Boonville end, which followed 2nd Street. This line came up from Moniteau County through Kelly Township, where there was a station called Vermont Station. The name “Vermont” may have come from the fact that Nathaniel Leonard, a large property owner in southern Cooper County (over 1,500 acres in 1877) was born in the State of Vermont. The line went up through present-day Bunceton, Speed, and into Boonville. The Osage Valley and Southern Kansas was succeeded by the Boonville, St Louis and Southern Railway in 1881. This railroad was then succeeded by the MoPac in 1956, which was then succeeded by the Union Pacific in 1997. Sources: Osage Valley and Southern Kansas Railroad Legends of Kansas Genealogy Trails The Tipton (MO) Times, January 15, 1880: The Missouri Pacific built a route from St. Louis to Kansas City, which came through the southern part of Cooper County. The line was completed through Otterville in 1860. The second railroad to come through Cooper County was the Osage Valley and Southern Kansas Railroad, a branch line of the Missouri Pacific. It ran from Boonville to Versailles, with stops at Billingsville, Jo Town, New Palestine, Petersburg, Bunceton and Vermont. It was completed in 1868. This line was abandoned in 1937. The third railroad was originally called the Tebo and Neosho, and later the Missouri, Kansas and Texas (shortened to “KATY” or “MKT”). It was built through Cooper County in the early 1870s and crossed the Missouri River at Boonville going through Prairie Lick, Pilot Grove, Harriston, Pleasant Green, and Clifton City. It ceased operation in 1986. The tracks have been removed and it has been converted to a recreation bike trail and is now called the Katy Trail. Prairie Lick and Harriston are now extinct, and Pleasant Green and Clifton City are now just settlements with a few homes. Pilot Grove, although not the large thriving city it once was, is now the second largest town in Cooper County. The fourth railroad to come through Cooper County was called the River Route because it followed along the Missouri River. It was built by the Missouri Pacific and is now the Union Pacific. It was completed as far as Boonville in the early 1890s and then extended downriver to St. Louis in the early 1900s. It goes through Overton, Wooldridge, Boonville, Lamine, and Blackwater, but does not stop. All the above towns became prosperous while the trains regularly stopped there, but once the railroads left, so did business and the population. Today, Overton, Wooldridge, Lamine and Speed have no businesses, but there are still a few homes there. The Union Pacific railroad still carries coal and other freight, especially coal, on a regular basis as it travels past Boonville. Here is a 1897 railroad map showing the rails in both counties. The only one not showing is the Missouri Pacific or later the Union Pacific that goes from Boonville down the river route to Jefferson City which started in 1899. The railroad going from Sedalia to Boonville and then to New Franklin is the MK&T RR or the Katy. The railroad from Boonville south to Versailles is the Southern Branch of the Missouri Pacific which ended in 1938. The Missouri Pacific RR at the bottom of Cooper County had a short rail that ran through Otterville from Sedalia to St. Louis. OTHER NOTABLE TRAIN WRECKS Pilot Grove train wreck World War II was brought to a close for the Citizens of Pilot Grove on May 6, 1945, when a train carrying ammunition wrecked about a half mile north of town. The fire and smoke caused by the derailment of twenty cars of oil, three cars of artillery shells, and part on the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, was visible for 35 miles, and it attracted hundreds of people to the scene. Flames and smoke leaped 400 feet into the air almost immediately; about 2 hours after the wreck the shells began to explode, and continued to explode for two hours. Shell fragments, casings, bags of powder, and some unexploded shells were scattered over the area. One shell landed near the depot, about a half mile away. Two crewmen were injured. It appeared that a brake beam on one of the cars had broken and was dragged along the track until it caught in a switch from a siding in town. Source: Pilot Grove Centennial book The Otterville 1948 collision of two Missouri Pacific trains left 12 passages and 2 Pullman employees dead, and 32 passengers and six crewmen injured. One train was creeping through a blinding snowstorm, at about 20 mile an hour, when the second train rammed into it. The trains were bound from Saint Louis to Kansas City. The accident happened two miles west of Syracuse, MO. Film Director Frank Ryan, his wife and three children died, as did the Ambassador to Spain and Argentina, Alexander Weddell and his wife also lost their lives. Source: Carolyn Aggelar THE RAILROADS BROUGHT PEOPLE TO COOPER COUNTY, AND ALSO MAY HAVE HELPED THEM MOVE AWAY Railroads have been credited with helping towns prosper and grow, and also may have led to the eventual demise of many Cooper County towns. Trains were especially helpful in moving animals and grain to major markets like St. Louis and Kansas City, plus allowing passengers to comfortably travel to where they wanted to go. Trains were a major travel improvement over stage coaches, wagons, or a horse and buggy. The change from rail travel to gasoline vehicles, started the decline of railroads. By the early 1920’s, transportation by train was being replaced by trucks and cars, which were faster and provided a more convenient, comfortable, and a direct way to travel. This change from rail travel to gasoline vehicles, plus the depression, caused area populations to dramatically decrease, as people moved closer to towns that were larger, had more shopping opportunities, still had trains, and/or offered more job opportunities with higher pay. Once cars and trucks became popular in the 1920’s, most trains were rerouted from going through the center of towns, to either bypass the towns, or were eliminated altogether. This was a big blow to farmers who depended on trains to haul their grain and cattle to major shipping points, such as At. Louis or Kansas City, and also eliminated passengers who had no other means of traveling from one city to another. The railroad business declined dramatically by the mid-1930’s. This led to the closing of Boonville’s Tipton-Versailles Branch line, and the Katy continued to cut back service despite the building of the new lift span bridge over the Missouri River in 1932. The hope that the lift span bridge would bring more business to Cooper County did not become a reality. Towns once serviced by trains that have almost, or totally disappeared, are: Petersburg, Vermont, Prairie Lick, Harriston, and Pleasant Green. It is interesting to see how the population of Cooper County increased and decreased with the advent of the railroads which covered much of the County. The railroads have been credited with helping towns prosper and grow, and also may have led to their eventual demise. When populations declined, the number of post offices did too. You will notice that many of the early, small Cooper County towns were named after a local grain mill, many of which were located on the Petite Saline River. Red = Missouri Pacific Orange = Osage Valley Green = Tebo/Neosho Blue = River Route This is the Union Pacific coal train #6040 going east through Boonville from the west on Feb. 5th, 2015 at 9:50 AM. It came from the coal fields in Colorado. We don't see as many of them here these days. They are using other sources of fuel nowadays in the power plants. This train does not stop in Boonville A hobo heating up his lunch on the MK&T Railroad. Circa 1890's by Max Schmidt Old Team Track unloading wheat in box car on 2nd street Boonville circa 1920's. From the Wayne Lammers collection. Union Pacific RR spur at Boonville, August 1998, long before the existence of the Isle of Capri Casino Hotel. By Wayne Lammers Union Pacific siding at Boonville circa 1978. Photo by Wayne Lammers. RAILROAD BRIDGES OVER THE MISSOURI RIVER In 1869, people began talking about building a railroad bridge over the Missouri River at Boonville, but it was not until 1870 that steps were taken to build one. Once the Tebo and Neosho railroad was turned over to the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, a charter was obtained for the building of the bridge, plus with an act of Congress, the building began is 1872. The bridge was completed in January, 1874. The first bridge was a swing-span bridge which was replaced a few years later by a lift-span bridge, which is the type that still stands. First image of the Boonville MK&T RR Bridge from the 1870's. From the Wayne Lammers collection Third Katy Bridge in 1880 First Katy Bridge Katy Bridge 1950's Todd Baslee climbing the Katy South Tower of the Boonville Katy Bridge. Photo by Wayne Lammers October 14, 2004 View from under the Katy Bridge View from on the river, looking west The bridges of Boonville Hot air balloon over Boonville Katy Railroad bridge circa 1980s. Photo by Wayne Lammers. Katy Railroad Bridge at sunset by Wayne Lammers, March 20 2014, at 5:58 pm. This is the Rocheport Bridge in Boone County with the Katy railroad below. Photographer unknown, October 8, 1960. Source: Farm Alarm REMEMBERING KATY CROSSINGS Kids from the west side of town crossed the Katy Railroad tracks on an unprotected path from Haller Street to Kemper, and on Spring and Morgan Streets, near the Katy Depot, at crossings protected by bright flashing red lights and loud warning bells, sometimes we counted 100 cars as we waited. Even though tragedy struck at Morgan Street in 1953, some still caught a short ride from Spring to Haller on the ladder of a slow-moving boxcar as a long train lumbered southwest up Lard Hill. The busy Katy bridge across the Missouri River provided crossings for Katy trains carrying freight from near St. Louis to Galveston, and for boys from Boonville carrying .22 rifles to the sloughs and sand bars along the north shore to shoot cans and bottles. Crossings by the latter were sometimes sanctioned and sometimes stealthy, depending on the operator on duty in the shanty on the Boonville side. There was no walkway, and if you were caught on the bridge by a train, it was loud and shaky holding onto a beam as the train roared past. My friend Kenny and I tried another crossing method, riding his motorcycle across from the north approach. Bump-bump, bump-bump, bump-bump across the ties. No trains came. The operator in the shanty just shook his head as we passed. He didn’t need to tell us not to do it again. By: Wayne Lammers Last train to cross the Boonville KATY bridge. Video by Wayne Lammers KATY BRIDGE DEDICATION Visitors' side of Katy Bridge Gov. Jay Nixon came to Boonville to help save The Katy Railroad Bridge. From the Wayne Lammers collection Old MKT Caboose Ribbon Cutting of the Katy Bridge on April 2, 2016 Governor Jay Nixon and Ann Betteridge Katy Trail Bikers crossing the USA on Trails. June 23, 2012. Photo by Wayne Lammers K A TY BRIDGE REOPENING CELEBRATED DURING BOONVILLE CEREMONY By Rudi Keller / rjkeller@columbiatribune.com | 815-1709 Posted Apr 3, 2016 at 12:01 AM BOONVILLE -- When the last train crossed the MKT Railroad bridge at Boonville in May 1986, Dennis Huff was the engineer and he called his friend Wayne Lammers to record it. The five-minute video explores the 1932 bridge and shows the 408-foot lift span in the up position, then cuts to the locomotive, with Huff hanging his arm out the window, as it approaches and passes. The 16 tanker, gondola and hopper cars pass within a few inches of the camera lens. On Saturday, Huff, Lammers and hundreds of others from Boonville and beyond returned to the bridge to celebrate its resurrection as part of the Katy Trail State Park. “It is nice to see a piece of history be preserved and put to some useful purpose,” Huff said before the festivities began. During the short ceremony, Gov. Jay Nixon was praised as the savior of the bridge by former Columbia Mayor Darwin Hindman, who in turn was dubbed Mayor of the Katy Trail by Boonville Mayor Julie Thacher. Nixon was attorney general in 2005 when then-Gov. Matt Blunt approved plans for the Union Pacific Railroad to dismantle the bridge for use as a second span at the Osage River for its line south of the Missouri River. Nixon took “the unusual and extremely brave step of suing the governor to set aside the decision,” Hindman told the gathering. Nixon argued the bridge was part of the deal that transferred the rail line to the state for trail use in 1990. The lawsuit ultimately was unsuccessful, but it delayed demolition until after Nixon became governor in 2009. Union Pacific’s second span at the Osage River was built with federal stimulus funds, and the Boonville bridge was deeded to the state . “This is really a fun day for me,” Nixon said before crossing the bridge with his wife Georgeanne Nixon. “I am not as excited about suing governors as I used to be,” he joked. Saturday’s ceremony celebrated the first phase of the bridge rehabilitation, costing about $900,000 and financed with a combination of private donations, city revenue and federal block grant funds. Visitors can walk about a third of the way across the river for views up- and downstream and a close-up look at the lift span. The next two phases are to complete a similar walkway on the Howard County side and, eventually, finish the crossing by putting the lift span into regular operation, said Paula Shannon, executive director of the Katy Bridge Coalition. The project cost is estimated to be $3.4 million. The ceremony brought many former residents back to Boonville to be part of the crowd of about 400 who attended the ceremony. “It is like going to a class reunion, almost,” Shannon said. The MKT’s days were numbered when Huff guided his locomotive over the river on May 23, 1986. The railroad had been in on-and-off merger negotiations with the Union Pacific for several years. A flood in October 1986 knocked the line north of the Missouri River out of commission. it was abandoned after the merger was approved by federal regulators. The state acquired the line under federal rail banking laws, and the trail now extends for 240 miles from Machens in St. Charles County to Clinton in Henry County. Because the bridge was left in the up position after it ceased being used, trail traffic goes over the river on a walkway attached to the Highway 40 bridge. The completion of the first phase is the realization of a dream, Lammers said. “It is a glorious day,” Lammers said. “It is one we have been working toward for years and years.” COOPER COUNTY’S LESSER-KNOWN CABOOSE Most of us have seen the beautifully restored KATY caboose which is parked on the short rails in front of the Chamber of Commerce building in Boonville. It is a beautifully-preserved reminder of the days when trains were the best way to travel and move agricultural goods to market. However, there is another caboose in Cooper County that represents the small town of Bunceton, that was once a very busy stop on the Osage Valley Railroad. It stands on a short railroad track next to the Kelly Township building, which was built to look like a train Depot. Inside the caboose is a museum. Here is a brief history of this caboose, shared by Gerald Ulrich, who was the Mayor of Bunceton from 1980 until 2006. The Cooper County Sheriff, Harvey Bunce, learned that a railroad would be built between Boonville and Versailles. He immediately purchased the land where the planned railroad would run. The town that received the train route was later named Bunceton, after Mr. Bunce. Many years later the Osage Valley Railroad was sold to the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Mr. Ulrich thought that if a caboose could be placed in Bunceton, it could be used as a museum. He contacted the Missouri Pacific Railroad to see if a caboose could be acquired. Missouri Pacific agreed to donate a caboose and donate it to the Chamber of Commerce. After making many connections with area groups the deal was done. Several area groups started working to get donations to pay for the concrete slab, and two trucks to haul the caboose. Riley Rock Quarries donated the trucks and trailers, and two giant cranes to lift the caboose onto the concrete slab. They also donated the fuel used for the haul and the drivers donated their time. It was a dangerous trip as there were several high wires that the caboose had to pass under. However, everything went without a hitch! The trickiest part was to haul all that weight over an old bridge, but that too worked perfectly. The city is proud of the fact that they raised the funds needed for this project and did not go into debt for moving the caboose, or for the new city hall. This was a wonderful community project. WHAT IS A CABOOSE? Although rarely seen on a train today, a caboose was always the last car on a train. The caboose served as a trainman’s “home away from home”. Since most trains ran on 12-hour shifts, the caboose was where the men ate their meals (brought from home) and slept. At one time it also served as the Engineer’s office. It is interesting to note that a caboose is an American invention, and never really caught on in Europe. On the top of the caboose was a cupula. This was a raised box surrounded by windows so that the tracks could be observed in all directions by looking through the windows above the roof of the train. As trains became more mechanically controlled, the need for the cupula to see the tracks hazards was replaced by a strange word for a strange railroad car, that somehow survived for more than a hundred years, from the days of oil burning lamps into the computer age. The origins of both the car and the word, are surrounded as much by legend as by fact. One popular version dates the word back to a derivation of the Dutch word "kombuis," which referred to a ship's galley. Use of cabooses began in the 1830s, when railroads housed trainmen in shanties built onto boxcars or flatcars. Even in the United States, technological change began eliminating the need for cabooses before the turn of the century. The spread in the 1880s of the automatic air brake system invented by George Westinghouse, eliminated the need for brakemen to manually set brakes. The air brakes soon were followed by the use of electric track circuits to activate signals, providing protection for trains and eliminating the need for flagmen. Friction bearings were replaced by roller bearings, reducing overheated journals and making visual detection by smoke an unlikely event. Trains became longer, making it difficult for the conductor to see the entire train from the caboose, and freight cars became so high that they blocked the view from the traditional cupola. The increasing heaviness and speed of the trains made on-board cooking hazardous and unnecessary. New labor agreements reduced the hours of service required for train crews and eliminated the need for cabooses as lodging. Cabooses, when used at all, were drawn from "pools" and no longer assigned to individual conductors. Eventually, electronic "hotbox" and dragging equipment detectors, which would check moving trains more efficiently and reliably than men in cabooses, were installed along main lines, and computers eliminated the conductors' need to store and track paperwork in the car. Source: Union Pacific A Brief History of the Caboose

EARLY CHURCHES Very early church. Notice two entrance doors – one for men, one for women. Segregated seating divided by a wall. Drawing by Florence "Winky" Friedrichs Adapted from “Discover Cooper County” by Ann Betteridge The settlement of the County and the organization of the first churches took place at the same time. Throughout the centuries, missionaries often accompanied the first advance of civilization, and such was their coming in Cooper County. The first Americans who rushed into the Boonslick area were predominantly Protestant, and it was a race between the Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians. Later, by steamboat, came the Episcopalians, the German Catholics and Evangelicals. By arriving in family or neighborhood groups from various “Old Countries,” they continued their old community in the new. The pioneer considered his church to be of primary importance. When a new settlement was established, a church would usually be organized. The pioneers lived humble lives and many practiced their faith each day. The early churches were held in the people’s homes, which were log cabins and huts. The early preachers preached the same gospel that is preached today in huge magnificent buildings. They had a faith that was earnest and simple like that of the early Christians. An interesting story about an early minister named Reverend Pennywell Peter Woods, who was one of the first ministers of Mt. Nebo Baptist Church, organized in 1820 just north of Bunceton. He grew up as a Presbyterian, believing Baptists were unworthy of respect from honorable and high-minded persons. His brother joined the Baptists, disgracing the family. Peter read the New Testament to learn about the true church and the true baptism, placing a red string at each mention of sprinkling and a blue string for each mention of immersion in the Bible. All the strings were blue and he threw his Bible down in disgust. But soon he was a pioneer itinerant Baptist preacher. It is not known when Peter first visited the Boonslick. Samuel Cole, the youngest son of Hannah Cole, stated the first preacher in the area was Peter Woods, and the Cole family history states that Peter Woods conducted the first worship service on the south side of the river in Hannah Cole’s cabin in 1811 . THE FIRST ORDAINED BAPTIST MINISTER IN COOPER COUNTY Luke Williams was the first ordained Baptist minister in Cooper County. He preached without fee or reward as the early settlers had nothing with which to pay him. Cooper County was little more than a wild territory. He used to say, “I need no money to travel among brethren and friends.” He traveled on foot over a large part of the territory when visiting the members. When he was not engaged in preaching, he supported himself and his family by working on his farm. An early settler recalled a church meeting he had attended before statehood, at which Luke Williams was the minister. Luke Williams was dressed in a complete set of buckskin clothes. Many of the worshipers were likewise attired. The lady was new to the area, having just moved there from North Carolina. The appearance of the congregation so upset her that she cried during the entire service. Also, at the service, grease from bear meat stored in the loft of the house where they were worshiping, dripped down and spoiled her shawl. At that time, in the wilderness, the shawl could not be replaced. THE FIRST CHURCHES IN COOPER COUNTY In 1817 , the first church building in the County was built. It was named Concord Church, and was located about six miles south of Boonville near Bunceton. It was a Baptist Church and the first minister to preach there was Luke Williams. Later, Luke Williams was pastor of Mt. Nebo Baptist Church from 1820-1823 . When he died, the church members gratefully provided for his widow. About the same time, in the same area, a small group of Baptists were meeting in various homes. Eventually, in 1837 , the Vine Church was constructed across the road from the Concord Church. The Concord Church and the Vine Church merged in 1847 . The Church celebrated their Centennial anniversary in 1917 , and disbanded in 1919 . The cemetery is still there, but no trace of either church remains. Other early church congregations that were founded were: 1818 Nelson Memorial United Methodist – Boonville 1819 Pisgah Baptist – Pisgah 1820 Cumberland Presbyterian – New Lebanon 1820 Mt. Nebo Baptist – Pilot Grove 1821 First Presbyterian – Boonville 1821 Otterville Presbyterian Church – Otterville The Nelson Memorial Church was the first Methodist Church in the Western Conference in Missouri, and held the very first religious service in Boonville in 1817 . It built its third church at the same location in 1915 . Early churches were held in homes until sufficient funds were raised and the actual church could be built. Most of the early churches were built from logs, similar to the way early homes were built. Later, many churches were also built from wood, but the logs still had to be cut, sawed into planks and smoothed with planes - all by hand. Some were built using bricks that were usually made on site. Building a church without modern tools was a true labor of love. Often, churches also served as early schools until rural one-room schools became available. Sadly, many of the early churches are gone without a trace of where they had once been. Some were torn down and a new one built, and if the congregation dwindled down in size, or a new church, closer to town claimed the congregation, the original church was abandoned or used for another purpose. A few churches were damaged or destroyed during the Civil War. Abandoned churches were often torn down and the materials used elsewhere by thrifty settlers, leaving no trace as to where the church had been. Some churches were destroyed by tornadoes or lightning, and others by fires. Churches then and now were not without serious disagreements between the members. The Mt. Nebo church was very prosperous until about 1826 , when there arose a division due to a difference of opinion on the question of paying ministers and sending missionaries among the “heathen” nations. After considerable excitement, and several stormy meetings, the two factions separated. John B. Longan, who was leader of the faction who favored paying the ministers and sending abroad missionaries, drew off a large majority of the members of the congregation, and built a church at Henry Woolery's mill, which was called "New Nebo” Church. The opposing faction continued in possession of "Old Nebo” Church," and still holds services. There seems to be no record of what happened to the “New Nebo” Church. The Civil War caused divisions within the churches. Many of the early parishioners were originally from the South and favored secession, while others strongly favored staying with the Union. Many churches did not hold services during the Civil War as members feared for their safety. Small towns flourished during the heyday of railroads, but once the railroads left the area or bypassed the towns, businesses closed, populations moved and the membership of churches suffered a reduced number of parishioners. Several of the early churches in Cooper County were founded by German immigrants. It was very common for these immigrants to conduct their services and teach their schools in German only. This changed quickly once World War I started. It is wonderful that so many of the early County churches are still in existence, and that they are still ministering to the needs of their parishioners. (See chart below for church name, date of founding, when the latest church was built, if it is still active, the location, plus if a church is associated with a cemetery (If the congregation built more than one church, the most recent date is listed.) Unfortunately, dates of the construction of a 2nd or third church seem to vary, depending upon which early history book you read. Founding dates are believed to be fairly accurate. Also, many of the records of the early churches, and some not so early, are cannot be found. If a church no longer exists, it is not listed. LISTING OF ALL PAST AND PRESENT CHURCHES & Their History Name, location, date established and cemetery, church information and records: Cooper County Churches General Information on Townships and Old Cooper County Churches BLACKWATER TOWNSHIP Town Blackwater Churches Blackwater Church of Christ - 307 Scott Ave. 660-846-2821 Blackwater United Methodist Church - Established 1887, Not Active BOONVILLE TOWNSHIP Towns Boonville Windsor Place Unincorporated town: Billingsville Churches Christ Episcopal Church – Established 1835, Active, No cemetery First Baptist Church – Established 1843, Active, No cemetery First Christian Church D.O.C. – Established 1887, Active, No cemetery First Presbyterian Church – Established 1821, Active, No cemetery Morgan Street Baptist – Established 1865, Active, No cemetery Mt. Hermon Baptist Church – Established 1868, 13394 B Hwy. Active, Cemetery Nelson Memorial Methodist Church – Established 1817 Active, No cemetery St. Johns United Church of Christ Billingsville – Established 1855, Active, Cemetery St. Mathew AME Church – Established, Active, No cemetery Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church – Established 1851, Active, Cemetery West Boonville Evangelical Church – Established 1893, Not Active, Cemetery CLARK’S FORK TOWNSHIP Unincorporated towns: Clark’s Fork and Lone Elm Churches Zion Lutheran Church – Lone Elm. Established 1896, Active, Has Cemetery Trinity Lutheran Church – Clark’s Fork. Established 1863, Active, Has Cemetery CLEAR CREEK Unincorporated Towns C lear Creek Pleasant Green Churches Pleasant Green Methodist Church – Established 1825, Active; Cemetery St John’s Catholic Church Clear Creek – Established 1850, Active; Cemetery KELLY TOWNSHIP Town Bunceton Link to general information Churches Federated Church of Bunceton – Established 1871, Active, No Cemetery Bunceton Baptist Church – Established 1887, Active, No Cemetery Bunceton United Presbyterian Church – Established 1860, Active, No Cemetery 5 additional cemeteries listed – Chilton, Hopewell, Howard, Masonic and Woods. LAMINE TOWNSHIP Unincorporated Town Lamine Churches Old Lamine Church of Christ – Established 1843, Active, Large cemetery Douglas Weekley-660-621-1167 Peninsula Baptist Church – Established 1873, Active, Large Cemetery Other Cemeteries William Henry Ashley – Burial Site (where the Lamine and Missouri rivers meet) ; Herndon Family Cemetery , Higgerson Family Cemetery , Hoke Family Cemetery , Samuel McMahan Family Cemetery , Thomas McMahan, Jr. Family Cemetery , Thomas McMahan, Sr. Family Cemetery Schuster Family Cemetery , Turley Family Cemetery LEBANON TOWNSHIP Unincorporated Town New Lebanon Churches New Lebanon Cumberland Presbyterian Church – Established in 1820. Stopped holding services in 1968. A cemetery is associated with this church Cemeteries New Lebanon Cemetery Additional Information Cooper County MoGenWeb Cooper County MoGenWeb Chapter 4 NORTH MONITEAU TOWNSHIP Unincorporated town Pisgah No map exists, but Pisgah is on Missouri Route O, 8 miles east of Bunceton Churches Pisgah Baptist Church – organized June 19, 1818, present building erected 1926 – Active membership Pisgah Baptist Cemetery nearby South Moniteau Township Overview MoGenWeb Pisgah Baptist Church Missouri Gravestones SOUTH MONITEAU TOWNSHIP No towns No churches Cemeteries Renshaw Smiley OTTERVILLE TOWNSHIP Town Otterville-First called Elkton, organized in 1836 Unincorporated town Clifton City Churches Otterville Methodist Episcopal Church South – organized in 1869 Active; No Cemetery First Baptist Church of Otterville – organized in 1866 , Active, No cemetery Otterville Presbyterian Church – organized in 1882 , Active, No cemetery St. Joseph’s Catholic Church – Clifton City – established in 1882 , Active, Cemetery More information about Otterville Presbyterian Church Other cemetery Shackleford PALESTINE TOWNSHIP Unincorporated Towns Speed Bellair Churches Bellair Methodist Church – established 1860, Not Active, No cemetery Speed Bethel A.M.E. Church – organized 1887, Not active, No cemetery Speed Union Church – organized 1891, Active, No cemetery Concord Baptist Church – established 1817, Disbanded 1919 – demolished. Earliest church in Cooper County – Large Cemetery Other Cemeteries Briscoe Cemetery on Highway 5 – Monument to Hannah Cole, first woman settler in Cooper County Tuscumbia Free Will Baptist Cemetery – located near Ravenswood on a locked property – Charlie Leonard has to unlock it. Other Family cemeteries: Eweing Family, Lowery Family, Charlie Leonard has to unlock the gate. Waller Family Cemetery PILOT GROVE TOWNSHIP Towns Pilot Grove Chouteau Springs – extinct town Churches Mt. Nebo Baptist Church – established 1820. Located 3 miles northeast of New Lebanon Active; Cemetery associated with this church Pilot Grove Baptist Church – organized in 1876, Not Active, No Cemetery Saint Joseph Catholic Church – organized in 1883, Active, Cemetery associated with this church Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church – organized 1866, Active, Cemetery is associated with this church One church with 4 name changes: St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church – 1873 St. Paul Evangelical and Reformed Church St. Paul United Church of Christ : Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage and Death records located at this site Pilot Grove Community Church – Active, Cemetery associated with this church Other Cemeteries – Mount Vernon, Pleasant Hill, Saint Joseph, Saint Martin’s in Chouteau Springs PRAIRIE HOME TOWNSHIP Town Prairie Home Churches Prairie Home United Methodist 544 Hwy. – Dr. 660-841-5226 Unincorporated towns organized 1881, Active, Cemetery associated with this church Prairie Home Baptist Church – organized 1890s, Active, No Cemetery St. Peter’s United Church of Christ – organized 1877, Active, Cemetery associated with this church Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church – year established, unknown. Disbanded 2019, still standing. Cemetery is associated with this church 5 Additional Cemeteries – Ellis, Harris, New Salem, Providence and Robison SALINE TOWNSHIP Towns Wooldridge Overton Pleasant Grove Churches Wooldridge Baptist Church – organized 1900, Active, Cemetery associated with this church Pleasant Grove Lutheran church – was organized 1855, Active, Cemetery associated with this church St. Peters Pleasant Grove – organized 1848 Active, Cemetery associated with this church REFERENCES: Church Histories TRAVELING MISSIONARIES AND CIRCUIT RIDERS Before there were churches and ministers, and when weather permitted, a traveling missionary would preach to the settlements. People would come in wagons or by foot to hear the message of God. This would also be a time to exchange the news and visit with others. “Brush arbors,” where protracted meetings would be held, were assembled from branches of trees for shade from the hot sun. The meetings would sometimes last for hours and lead to the organization of a permanent church. Later, when funds were available, churches would be built. Revivals would be held in the summer, fall, or spring. At this time many new members were added to the church. The Revivals sometimes lasted for several days. The traveling missionaries, often called “Circuit Riders” would travel on foot or on horseback, stopping at homes as they went. This was a very strenuous and hard life and many of the circuit riders died in their 30’s or early 40’s. They were dependent on food and shelter at the homes that welcomed them, and in the early days of Cooper County, homes were few and far between. They were subject to bad weather, getting lost on the open prairie and had no protection from those who would cause them harm or rob them. In later years, Revivals or Camp Meetings were held in tents, but the goal was always bringing folks back to or into the church. Pilot Grove Township was distinguished in the early years by the number and variety of camp meetings which were held there. The Presbyterians and Methodists were rivals for the honor of conducting the biggest and best camp meeting each year. People attended from great distances, as it was a social event as well as a religious one. Methodist Circuit Riders Methodism became prominent in Missouri in the early 1800’s through “circuit riders” who were lone preachers on horseback who spread the Word of God to rural settlers, and relied on these same settlers for food and shelter. These early preachers had no church or congregation of their own, as all preachers were itinerants. Their circuits were of varied sizes, depending on the number of settlers in their circuit area. In the new Territory of Missouri, on the south side of the Missouri River, their circuits were very large, and it usually took the preacher about six weeks to complete. The circuits varied from 200 to 600 miles. Circuit Riders were usually young, single men with an agricultural or artisan background. They could read and write, but were normally not well educated. However, when they felt called to preach, they received a course of study in the Bible, the Methodist Hymnal, and were well versed in the theology of John Wesley. They were paid a salary of $80 per year. They had to supply their own horse, saddle and bridle and all their clothing. Some complained that the food they received was poor and they often had to sleep on the floor of a shed. But, homes at that time were very small and already crowded. In 1816 there were only eight preachers to cover the entire area that was to later become the state of Missouri. They ministered to those who lived on scattered farms or in small villages that would be unable to support a full-time minister. If possible, the circuit rider preached every day in what ever building was large enough – barns, taverns, homes, under trees or in “brush arbors. They often started as early as 5 AM in the summer so that farmers could get out to the fields to work, or were done in the evening after farming work was done. Wherever there were enough people in an area, the preacher would start a class and appoint a lay person to conduct classes in order to keep the people together until the circuit rider made his rounds and returned. These classes became a basis for a new church to be established. The preacher was not looking for Methodists, he was looking for anyone who wanted to hear the word of God and eventually become a Methodist. Camp meetings and revivals were held at least once each year and often lasted for week. People would come from miles away for these revivals and a for a chance to meet friends they had not seen for a year or more. Many new members to the church would be added at this time, plus weddings and baptisms performed. “Sermons were practical, moral, and dramatic. Methodist doctrine fit well with the spirit of the frontier. The emphasis of free will, and grace, unlike to the limited grace and predestination preached by the Presbyterians and Baptists appealed to those independent souls who had moved to the frontier and who felt They were in control of their destiny”. (1) Boonville was incorporated into a circuit in 1818 by a local preacher, Justinian Williams, and by 1840 became a station and became the second largest in the state of Missouri. Stops for the early circuit riders included Boonville, Pilot Grove and a German settlement 12 miles south of Boonville. Reference: Circuit Riders to Crusades by John O. Gooch, Ph.D. Circuit Riders to Crusades pages 10, 11 Baptists During the first five years of settlement in this area most services were held in homes by a passing missionary or circuit rider. In 1815 , Luke Williams, who later preached at Concord and Mt. Nebo, held services at Hannah Cole’s Fort. He was born in Virginia, in 1776 , and settled in Cooper County in 1816 . The other missionary who preached in the Fort was James Savage. Both of these men were of the Baptist denomination, which was the prevailing one in early Cooper County. In early Boonville, Missouri, there was no "German Church" where first- and second-generation immigrants could worship in the custom familiar to the then fewer than forty families who had migrated Westward during the early 1800's. In 1849 two German circuit riders, the Reverends Rauschenbach and Kroenke, were in Boonville on a regular but infrequent basis for the Evangelical United Church of Christ. Then, in 1850 , the Rev. Hoffmeister, an Evangelical minister serving Moniteau County, agreed to conduct services twice a month at Boonville. His ministry at Boonville was brought about as a result of the amount of $250 annually provided by the Presbyterian Church Mission Board's decision to support a church for their German friends. New Lebanon The Cumberland Presbyterian Church of New Lebanon established a seminary in that trained young men to become circuit riders and ministers EARLY CHURCH DISCIPLINE The discipline of the early church was strict. Instances of discipline involved: card playing, drinking liquors in excess, fights between members (pulling off their coats in an “affray”), marriage troubles, dishonesty in horse trading, making false statements against the pastor and non-attendance at church. No servant or servants were allowed to sell beer, cakes, cider, melons, or anything of that kind within one mile of the church. Churches were affected by the Civil War. Some churches were destroyed or burned, and congregations had to work together to heal the wounds of war. The healing in most cases came slowly. Black members, who had before worshiped with the white members (blacks were forced to sit in the back of the church building), formed their own churches and cemeteries. Some of the early churches had two entrance doors. Some also had a partition through the center section of the building separating the men and women so there would be no “distractions” during worship. BAPTISMS Some of the churches conducted baptismal services at a nearby creek. After the Sunday morning service, the congregation would go to a nearby creek and after a service of prayer and singing at the water’s edge, the pastor immersed the candidate for baptism. An amusing incident was told in connection with an early baptismal service. A crowd of people had gathered on the banks of the stream where the baptism was to take place. Simons climbed up a small sapling which stood on the edge of the creek. John Hutchison, thinking that this would be a fine opportunity to have some fun, took out his pocket knife and began cutting away on the little tree where it was bent over by the viewer’s weight. Lower and lower bent the tree but the victim was so interested in the baptism he did not notice what was happening. At last the tree was cut in two and Simons fell into the water with a loud splash. The crowd laughed so long and loud that the minister almost dismissed the crowd, but finally they became quiet and the service was finished. Although the church was noted for its strictness, this illustration shows the members could also enjoy a good laugh. The grasshopper invasion of 1875 caused much concern. Tuesday, May 18th, of that year was set aside as a day of prayer to God for his blessings upon the local churches and the nation in the removing of the insects that were devastating the land. People from different churches met together on that day to pray. CHURCH PROGRAMS WERE SUCCESSFUL Churches began to have Sunday Schools in the early 1900 ’s. At this time the women of the churches were forming missionary and prayer societies and they began to become active in their churches’ programs. Vacation Bible School started in the 1930 ’s and 1940 ’s. Many people in the county reflect with happiness upon their experiences at Bible School. Many of the churches in the County continue to have Bible Schools each summer. Some of the churches have a day each week set aside for church instruction. Three churches in Cooper County have their own church school. A history of these schools can be found in the website section on schools. RESOURCES: LISTING OF ALL PAST AND PRESENT CHURCHES in Cooper County Name, location, date established and church information and records: A list of churches will come up. Click on the one you wish to read about and watch for a blue arrow in the upper right had corner. If you do not see the arrow, click again. If you wish to study several churches, close the one you were just looking at and click on a new name. Resources at the CCHS Research Center – (listed in genealogy section of this website) List of all Cooper County Churches we have information on in our files list of all church history books at the Center List of all church Centennial books “Cooper County Church Sketches” by Florence Chesnutt available at CCHS Research Center for only $9 Map of Churches in Church Sketches At one time there were three Black churches in Boonville: Sixth Street Church, which has been razed, Saint Mathew’s A.M.E. Church (1881 ) and Morgan Street Baptist (1865 ). Pisgah also had a Black church which was formed after the Civil War. Prior to the war Blacks and Whites worshiped together. There is a small Black Church near Prairie Home (Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church) which was disbanded in 2019 . Resources : LISTING OF ALL PAST AND PRESENT CHURCHES in Cooper County Name, location, date established and church information and records: Missouri Genealogical Website Church Records in Cooper County A list of churches will come up. Click on the one you wish to read about and watch for a blue arrow in the upper right had corner. If you do not see the arrow, click again. If you wish to study several churches, close the one you were just looking at and click on a new name. Resources at the CCHS Research Center – (listed in genealogy section of this website): List of all Cooper County Churches we have information on in our files: List of all church history books at the CCHS Center List of all church Centennial books “Cooper County Church Sketches” by Florence Chesnutt available CCHS Research Center $9 See below – History of some of the oldest Cooper County churches and a Tour Map Winki Book.pdf

20TH CENTURY WARS PARTIAL TIMELINE 1938 : The (U.S.) Naval Reserve Act permitted the enlistment of qualified women as nurses. 1942 : The Women's Reserve of the U. S. Coast Guard Reserve program (officially nicknamed the "SPARs"), was first established in 1942. 1942 : YN3 Dorothy Tuttle became the first SPAR enlistee when she enlisted in the Coast Guard Women's Reserve on the 7th of December, 1942. 1942 : The Marine Corps Women's Reserve (MCWR) was authorized by the U.S Congress in July 1942 to relieve male Marines for combat duty in World War II. 1942 : U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Public Law 689 creating the Navy’s women reserve program on 30 July 1942. 1942 : The U.S. Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was founded. 1942 : The name of the U.S. Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was officially changed to Women's Army Corps (WAC). 1943 : The U.S. Women's Army Corps recruited a unit of Chinese-American women to serve with the Army Air Forces as "Air WACs." 1944 : Public Law 238 granted full military rank to members of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps , who were then all women. Source: Wikipedia MEXICAN EXPOSITION In 1916 , Pancho Villa, a Mexican bandit, made a raid into New Mexico. General John J. Pershing, of the United States Army, led a force to capture him. Troops from the U.S. tried to find him but failed. Company B, 3rd Infantry of the National Guard from Cooper County went to help in the capture of Villa. This included 67 men under the leadership of Capt. R A. Johnston. They were called to Federal service June 18, 1916. Because of the outbreak of World War I, they had to return. Pancho Villa was never captured. THE KOREAN WAR (1950 ) The Korean War was the first war in history when troops of a world organization, the United Nations, acted as “police” to fight a nation who was attacking another nation. The war began on June 25, 1950 , when troops of Communist-ruled North Korea attacked South Korea in an attempt to unify the country by force. The United Nation Charter had outlawed all aggression so the United Nations asked member countries to aid South Korea. Sixteen countries, who were members of the U.N., sent troops and aid to South Korea. Russia aided the North Koreans by supplying guns, ammunition, planes, and equipment. Communist Chinese forces also entered the war on the side of North Korea. The war ended on July 27, 1953 , when both sides agreed to settle the problems of Korea at an international conference. Several Cooper County men served in the Korean War. KOREAN WAR WEBPAGES HISTORY CHANNEL BRITTANICA IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUMS UNITED STATES ARMY DIGITAL HISTORY NATIONAL ARCHIVES THE ATLANTIC KOREAN WAR PROJECT EISENHOWER LIBRARY TRUMAN LIRARY NAVY HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND PRESERVING THEIR STORIES: INTERVIEWS WITH WWII, KOREAN, VIETNAM AND IRAQ WAR VETERANS VIETNAM CONFLICT North Vietnam wanted to conquer South Vietnam. Again, Cooper County men served their country. VIETNAM WAR WEBPAGES PRESERVING THEIR STORIES: INTERVIEWS WITH WWII, KOREAN, VIETNAM AND IRAQ WAR VETERANS GULF WAR Iraq took over Kuwait. Kuwait was a major oil supplier to the United States. The war was mainly fought to protect the Persian oil fields. Troops from Cooper County served in the Gulf. GULF WAR WEBPAGES PRESERVING THEIR STORIES: INTERVIEWS WITH WWII, KOREAN, VIETNAM AND IRAQ WAR VETERANS Central Missouri Honor Flights The Central Missouri Honor Flight is a non-profit 501c (3) organization created solely to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. The group transports our heroes from throughout Central Missouri to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorials at no cost to them. Since their inception in 2009 , they have transported thousands of veterans to Washington on 61 flights. Top priority is given to senior veterans – WWII survivors, along with other veterans of Korea and Vietnam who may be terminally ill. They are a totally volunteer organization and are funded by donations from individuals, organizations and businesses who wish to see our aging veterans honored before it is too late. Of all the wars in recent memory, it was WWII that truly threatened our very existence as a nation and free society. Now, with more than 640 WWII veterans dying each day, time to express our thanks to these brave men and women is running out. The picture is of Kathy Wilkerson, a registered nurse from Pilot Grove, who has volunteered for 19 Honor Flights. She is serving here as a Guardian for Kathy Griggs who served as a Marine in the Viet Nam War. The last Honor Flight out of Columbia was in November of 2019 . They did no Honor Flights in 2020 due to COVID, and flights are currently suspended for 2021 . WOMEN IN THE MILITARY Over the years, women have served their country in various ways in the military. Many were nurses, some were doctors, and some were spies, but until the beginning of the Second World War women were rarely active in the military and were not considered to be enlisted, so they were not eligible for any military benefits. But, during the early days of World War II, with many men being called into the Armed Services, women who had never worked before went to work taking men’s places in factories and business, and some into the actual armed services in minor roles. Wikipedia has excellent information on how each military branch accepted women and the various jobs that they did. Especially interesting is information on women pilots who flew the new planes to the airports where they would be then flown into battle by Navy and Airforce pilots. The women had excellent safety records. Unfortunately, women pilots and other women in the Armed Services did not receive the same benefits of the enlisted men, but this has now been changed. “ Hello Girls ” 8 female soldiers who changed the course of US ... - Army Times Partial timeline from Wikipedia 1938 : The (U.S.) Naval Reserve Act permitted the enlistment of qualified women as nurses. 1942 : The Women's Reserve of the U. S. Coast Guard Reserve program (officially nicknamed the "SPARs"), was first established in 1942. 1942 : YN3 Dorothy Tuttle became the first SPAR enlistee when she enlisted in the Coast Guard Women's Reserve on the 7th of December, 1942. 1942 : The Marine Corps Women's Reserve (MCWR) was authorized by the U.S Congress in July 1942 to relieve male Marines for combat duty in World War II. 1942 : U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Public Law 689 creating the Navy’s women reserve program on 30 July 1942. 1942 : The U.S. Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was founded. 1942 : The name of the U.S. Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was officially changed to Women's Army Corps (WAC). 1943 : The U.S. Women's Army Corps recruited a unit of Chinese-American women to serve with the Army Air Forces as "Air WACs." 1944 : Public Law 238 granted full military rank to members of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps , who were then all women. Information for each Branch of the Military that women have been, and are now members of: WAC - Woman’s Army Core WAVES - Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service WASP - Women’s Air Force Service Pilots SPARS - United States Coast Guard (USCG) Women's Reserve MILITARY MUSEUMS If you have an ancestor who was in a military unit, there are over 250 military museums in the US that you can access online, or in person, to learn more about the unit and possibly even your ancestor(s). There are probably more military museums in the US than you can visit in a lifetime. Just google the branch of service and the state, and you will find tons of information. Below are the military museums in Missouri. Also check all of the military resources under the genealogy section at the beginning of the research section on this website. MISSOURI MILITARY MUSEUMS Jefferson Barracks - 345 North Road, St. Louis, MO 63125 Phone: 314-615-8800 Soldiers Memorial Museum - 5700 Lindell Blvd., St Louis, MO 63112 Phone: 314-746-4599 Soldier’s Memorial Military Museum -1315 Chestnut St., Saint Louis, MO Phone: 314-818-6780 Museum of Missouri Military History - 2405 Logistics Road, Jefferson City, MO, 65101 Phone: 573-638-9603 John Mahaffey Museum Complex - 495 S. Dakota Ave., Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473 Phone: 573-596-6780 Fort Leonard Wood Driving Tour - 316 Missouri Ave BLDG 100, Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473 Phone: 573-336-6355 Branson Veterans Memorial Museum - 1250 W Hwy 76 Country Blvd., Branson, MO 65616 Phone: 417-336-2300 Air & Military Museum of the Ozarks - 2305 E. Kearney St., Springfield, MO Phone (417) 864-7997 Battleship Missouri in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii : The USS Missouri Memorial Association is dedicated to preserving the Battleship Missouri and sharing her story and place in history. The Battleship Missouri Memorial is an American icon that stands in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Battleship welcomes visitors from around the world and is conveniently located less than three miles from the Honolulu International Airport and just eleven miles from Waikiki.

HARLEY PARK Harley Park “Gifted Park to Citizens of Boonville” Major Wm. Harley was an Irishman having been born in Don Donald, county Antrim, fourteen miles from Belfast, Ireland, on May 6th, 1793. He came to America in 1811 at the age of 18 years. He then moved to Howard County as a merchant during his later years of the 1830’s. He died at his home in Boonville on November 8, 1891. On June 2, 1887, for years before his death, Maj. William Harley and his wife, Cornelia, presented a deed to the mayor, councilmen and citizens of Boonville and their successors, eight acres of land in west Boonville, to be used as a public park with certain conditions specified in the deed. This beautiful park, Harley Park, is located on elevated ground one-half mile west of the M.K.&.T depot on Morgan Street. It is claimed he was the oldest Mason in the United States, having joined that historic fraternity in Louisville, KY in 1818—-73 years before his death. By: Wayne Lammers April, 2023 Here is the entrance to Harley Park taken by Max Schmidt back in ca 1890's. At center left is the ball diamond with an entrance at bottom left. The mud road is Santa Fe Trail. Much has changed since then This is at Harley Park's Look Out, looking to the west over the Missouri River. Mother and son walking at Harley Park The Cooper County Baseball Association Little League baseball field J. Melton and Big Sky Park Elston Joseph Melton was born in Jefferson City on November 17, 1891, and grew up around California, Mo. After high school, he attended the Chicago Art Institute before turning to newspaper work, first in California, Mo., then in Miami, Ok., and finally back in Mo. at Clayton. During the Great War, Melton served in the navy at US Naval Base 17 in Scotland. After the war, he returned to the newspaper business working for papers in Pilot Grove, Sedalia, Boonville, and Caruthersville working as a printer, reporter, editor, partner, and even owner/publisher. He sold The Caruthersville Republican in September 1925 when Governor Sam Baker appointed him deputy state oil inspector for southeast Mo. Melton launched the Boonville Republican in April 1929, publishing it as a weekly for four years before turning it into a daily. A year later he merged it with the Boonville Daily News. Fourteen months later, he sold out and stepped down as editor. Although the majority of Melton’s time up to 1935 was spent in the newspaper business, he did have other interests. After selling his share of the Boonville Daily News in 1935, Melton continued to write, doing special pieces for the Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian and a syndicated column called “Pen Pointers.” In 1936 he published “Will Rogers, Kemper Valedictorian ’98.” It was probably during these two years that he started writing his history of Cooper County, Missouri, which was published in 1937. That same year, he published “Billy Aikors history of 1937.” Along the way, his daughter Mary grew up and married Harry Eugene Hall. The couple gave Mary’s parents four grandsons. Mark Melton Hall was born in 1949 and Michael Owen Hall followed in 1950. The twins, Dale Todd Hall and David Paul Hall, were born in 1952. Then tragedy struck. In June 1961, Mary died unexpectedly at the couple’s home in Canton, Mo., leaving behind a husband and four pre-teen sons. In January 1968, a $1,000.00 certificate was donated to the City of Boonville by Mr. & Mrs. E. J. Melton to start a trust fund as a memorial to their daughter, Mary Melton Hall. The Park Board members were to be trustees and administer the funds with the interest being used for improvements and plantings in an area west of Harley Park to be known as “Big Sky Park.” On May 6, 1968, the Boonville City Council unanimously approved an ordinance which created and defined the Big Sky Area of Harley Park along with its trust fund. Today, on Riviera Dr. , a plaque can be found on a large rock overlooking the area. It reads: “Harley Park, ‘Big Sky Area,’ In Memory of Mary Melton Hall, Denoted by E J Melton Family.”

COOPER COUNTY BANKS & TRAIN ROBBERIES COOPER COUNTY BANKS & TRAIN ROBBERIES Pleasant Green - Cooper County’s First Bank robbery took place in Pleasant Green in 1926. The Robbers were finally captured by a Cooper County Sheriff with one arm. Jesse James - The James Gang hits Otterville: Jesse James is probably one of the most notorious outlaws of the Wild West. He is credited with the first daylight bank robbery in the US, although it was probably his "gang" that pulled off the $60,000 heist in Liberty, Missouri, and not Jesse himself. However, there is little doubt that Jesse was an active participant of the 1876 train robbery near Otterville. Wanting to rob a bank in Minnesota, the James-Younger Gang set out to arrange financing for their trip up north by robbing a train in Missouri. They chose a dangerous stretch of tracks called Rocky Cut near Otterville, Missouri, to hold up the train. On the evening of July 7, 1876, eight members of the gang captured the night guard at Rocky Cut and used his lantern to flag down the train. Once stopped, the gang boarded the train, robbed both safes, then disappeared into the night. Not far from there, the gang stopped to split up the money before riding off in separate directions. Today, that location is marked by a stone in a roadside park just east of Otterville. Hobbs Kerry, a new member of the gang, was arrested a few days later and gave up the names of the other seven men involved in the robbery. They were Frank and Jesse James, Cole and Bob Younger, Bill Chadwell, Clell Miller, and Charlie Pitts. For some reason, the third Younger brother, Jim, had not been among them. However, by that time, the gang was headed north to Northfield, Minnesota, where their planned bank robbery ended in failure in more ways than one. Bill Chadwell and Clell Miller were killed during the hold up. Charlie Pitts was killed when Bob, Jim, and Cole Younger were captured. Only Frank and Jesse James made it out of Minnesota. Bob Younger died of tuberculosis on September 16, 1889, while still in prison. Jim and Cole Younger were paroled, but Jim committed suicide on October 19, 1902. Jesse James was murdered on April 3, 1882, by gang member Robert Ford for the $5,000 reward on Jesse's head. However, Ford was never able to collect. After giving up their lives of crime, Frank James died February 18, 1915, and Cole Younger died March 21, 1916. Source: Discover Cooper County by Ann Betteridge Zerelda James Samuel & Mary James, daughter of Jesse James at the James Home in Kearney MO. Zerelda lost her right hand when a bomb that the Pinkerton's tossed through one of the windows in the home. Zerelda picked up the bomb trying to get rid of it when it went off. Reuben & Zerelda James Samuel at the James Home. Lady on right unknown, possibly Mary James, daughter of Jesse James. A blackberry cobbler recipe by Zerelda James, Jesse James' mother. Zerelda James Samuel mother of Jesse James standing by his gravestone at the James Home in Kerney, MO.

SANTA FE TRAIL 1821 (1821) William Becknell left Franklin, Missouri, pioneering the route that would become the Santa Fe Trail. “The new nation of Mexico (receiving independence from Spain in 1821 reversed Spain’s ban on trade with the United States. Taking advantage of this new commerce, Missouri trader William Becknell and 20 men with trade goods left Franklin on an 800-mile journey to Santa Fe. By 1824 , the trail was well established and trade continued between the white settlers and the Mexicans and Indians in the Southwest for the next 24 years. Independence would eventually become the starting point on this hard and dangerous journey. Yet, there was much to be gained by the trade route. Mexican silver stimulated the Missouri economy. And, the Mexican burro was introduced to German settlements by way of the trail. German settlers mated their Belgian draft horses with the burro to produce the true Missouri mule”. The Santa Fe Trail can be thought of as America’s first commercial highway, covering about 800 miles across Missouri and the Great Plains. The route connected Santa Fe, New Mexico with the newly formed state of Missouri. The trail head started in Old Franklin, Mo, then on to Arrow Rock to Independence Missouri, ending the journey in Santa Fe New Mexico. Much of the trail follows the Missouri River. William Bucknell pioneered the trail in 1821 with the idea of opening up new markets for Missouri goods. This was a very active trail until 1880 when the railroad arrived in Santa Fe. Courtesy of: Missouri Bicentennial Timeline The Santa Fe Trail, Pre-1821 to 1850 The Santa Fe Trail was first officially started when William Becknell left Franklin, Missouri in September 1821 with a small group of men. Becknell had made a series of bad business deals, was deep in debt and facing jail time if his debts were not paid soon. In May 1821 Becknell advertised in the Missouri Intelligencer for men to go with him on the trip. In August of the same year a meeting was held in the home of Ezekiel Williams. There were 17 people at the meeting. The Becknell party left on 1 September 1821 and arrived in Santa Fe on 16 November the same year. While on their trip they were met by a troop of Mexican soldiers who informed them that Mexico had gained its independence from Spain and that they would be welcomed in Santa Fe. The group left Franklin with $300 worth of trade goods and returned with $6000 in silver. This excursion was not without risks. There had been several who had made the same trek only to have bad outcomes. In 1804 Baptist Leland went to Santa Fe but did not come back. In 1805 James Pursely also went to Santa Fe but did not come back. In 1806 Zebulon Pike went as a government agent. He pretended he was lost, and the Mexican government took him prisoner to Chihuahua for 6 months. In 1812 Robert McKnight, James Baird and Samuel Chambers with 10-12 others made the trip. They were arrested and kept 9 years in Chihuahua. In 1817 August Pierre Choteau made the trip and he was arrested in Santa Fe. The group headed back to Franklin on 13 December. Only one of the four who came with Becknell on the initial trip to Santa Fe was in the return trip. Becknell’s second trip to Santa Fe left Franklin on 22 May 1822 with 21 men and 3 wagonloads of goods worth $3000. They returned earning $91,000. Becknell’s third trip as a member of a party of 81 men, 25 wagons, 200 horses and mules and $30,000 of trade goods yielded $180,000 in silver coin and $10,000 in fur pelts. Two main routes developed early to traverse the trail. The northern, more mountains route took about 77 days to travel. The southern or Cimarron route took a few days less to travel. Sometimes wagons had to be taken apart to go over mountainous areas and put back together. Wagons broke down and soon parts were strewn along the trail. The Cimarron route was smoother but was called the Journey of death by the Mexicans because it was so dry. Summers could be hot and dry on both routes and winters could be so full of snow and ice and bitter cold. Rivers could be flooded or completely dried up. Problems such as dust storms, gnat swarms, rattle snakes, buffalo stampedes, etc., always made for a hazardous trip. Indian raids became more of a problem the larger the trade trips became. After a while, wagons took the place of pack horses/mules because they could haul more goods. The Cimarron route was 865 miles in length and 75% of the trade took place through that route. The Northern route was 909 miles in length and 25% of the trade took place through that route. Up until the Mexican American War in 1847 , international trade both ways took place. Then in 1848-1850 trade was national in nature as New Mexico became a United States Territory. The first wagons used on the trail were farm-type wagons. Then as the volume of trade goods increased Conestoga-type wagons from Pennsylvania became the norm. Later the Conestoga-type wagons were built in Missouri. Benefits of the Trail: The profits that were brought back added needed money into Missouri and Boonslick economies; The Trail opened the way for the California gold rush and the Oregon Trails; Facilitated westward movement of people all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Probably helped enable New Mexico to become a territory, and then a state. Although the Santa Fe Trail did not originate in Cooper County, many of the supplies needed for the Trail came from Cooper County merchants and manufacturers. After the 1827-28 floods, Westward trade in Boonville was greatly increased. Although the trade route brought new population and businesses to Cooper County, many people left the County to participate in the trade opportunities in Santa Fe and/or the California Gold Rush, and decided to stay in California, Oregon, or Washington. While the Becknell group weren’t the only ones looking for a better trade route to Santa Fe, they were the first to arrive there. Many such trips followed by Becknell and others. Because of William Becknell’s efforts to open the trail, he is known as the “Father of the Santa Fe Trail.” Sources: History.com , Encyclopedia Britannica , Wikipedia , Ann Betteridge Source: Ray Glendenning, South Howard County Historical Society researcher. References : Santa Fe National Historic Trail : Although the NPS map does not show the trail in Cooper County, we do know some traders were from Cooper County and trading parties left on occasion from Boonville after purchasing supplies. Wikipedia - Excellent article and map. Boone’s Lick Road Association - Excellent information on their website. 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. Other References: Santa Fe Trail: Author's Journey Missouri Stories from the Santa Fe Trail The Santa Fe Trail: A Guide (Hal Jackson) by Hal Jackson and Marc Simmons Commerce of the Prairies (University of Nebraska) by Josiah Gregg Kit Carson’s Autobiography (University of Nebraska) edited by Milton Milo Quaife Matt Field on the Santa Fe Trail (University of Oklahoma) edited by Mae Reed Porter and Clyde Field Down the Santa Fe Trail and Into Mexico, the Diary of Susan Shelby Magoffin (University of Nebraska) edited by Stella Drumm Original Conestoga Wagon – Wayne Lammers' Collection Modern-Day Conestoga Wagon South Howard County Historical Society

NEW MADRID EARTHQUAKE (1811) The first shocks of three major earthquakes begin in New Madrid. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “First shocks of the New Madrid earthquakes began December 16, 1811 and continued through March 1812 . Between 6,000-10,000 earthquakes in the Bootheel of Missouri occurred during this time with the largest measuring 8.8 magnitude. Later, a witness to the earthquake described the terror in a graphic description that was published years later by the Charleston Courier. Eliza Bryan, who was 15 years old and living in New Madrid in 1811 remembered “the violent shock of an earthquake accompanies by a very awful noise, resembling loud but distant thunder, but hoarser and vibrating, which was followed in a few minutes by the complete saturation of the atmosphere with sulphureous vapor, causing total darkness…” Another eyewitness was the famed ornithologist, John James Audubon, who was working in Missouri and riding his horse when the earthquake struck. He described it to be the sound of a tornado and that his horse reacted immediately as if his footing was on smooth ice. Audubon observed the shrubs and trees moving from their roots and “the ground rose and fell like the ruffled water of a lake.” Audubon wrote that he felt like a child in a cradle as his horse rocked back-and-forth with imminent danger around him and followed by a disagreeable odor when the earthquake subsided. Trained to observe nature, Audubon’s descriptions offered more detail of the day the Earth shook Missouri’s boot heel region and caused the Mississippi to run backward and church bells in Boston to ring”. This documentary tells the story of the historic earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 that struck near the town of New Madrid, Missouri and proceeded to rattle a major part of the country for the next six months. References : Websites New Madrid Earthquakes Southeast Missouri New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812 Missouri Life: New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812 U.S. Geological Survey: Summary of 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquakes Sequence LAND GRANTS RESULTING FROM EARTHQUAKE So much land was destroyed, and landmarks lost, as a result of the massive earthquakes, that the government issued “New Madrid certificates” in the Boonslick area to those who suffered major losses in the New Madrid area. It was easier (and less expensive) exchanging for land in the Boonslick area rather than trying to resurvey and determine the boundaries of everyone’s original property down there. So a lot of people moved and took up residence in the Boonslick area. Sixty land grants were issued for what was to become Cooper County. History, Art & Archives: New Madrid Earthquakes Relief Far Outliers: Effects of the New Madrid Relief Act of 1815 Etienne Hayseed: New Madrid Claims in Missouri Apr 08, 2015 · - American State Papers, Public Lands, Volume 4, page 155, No. 453, Grants of Land to People of New Madrid County, Missouri, Who Suffered by Earthquakes - American State Papers, Public Lands, Volume 4, page 749, No. 504, New Madrid Claim in Missouri Jul 12, 2007 · On February 17, 1815 [three years after the strongest earthquakes in U.S. history], Congress passed the New Madrid Relief Act, the first federal disaster relief act in U.S. history. Melton's History of Cooper County - Chapter 06 Are you one of these land speculators, stranger?" The New Madrid earthquake occurred December 16, 1811 , with recurring shocks ... an act to relieve sufferers of the New Madrid earthquake. Landowners in the flooded districts could relinquish ... speculators, mostly from St. Louis, invaded the New Madrid district, buying claims from $40 to $60 ... 640 acres. Demand for certificates encouraged dishonest New Madrid settlers to sell their claims over and ... It led to endless law suits. Many New Madrid certificates were located in the Boon's ... St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau and New Madrid. In 1813 Washington County was formed from ... County was carved from the west of New Madrid. When formed, Howard not only included the “Corn” Taylor moved to Cooper County in about 1817 as the result of the New Madrid earthquake. He brought with him, from his native state of Kentucky, much livestock and a good supply of seed corn. Much of his land had been given to him by the government, in retribution for his land which was lost to the Mississippi River during the New Madrid earthquake. At one time, he had extensive land holdings in Cooper County.

STRUGGLE FOR STATEHOOD The part of the Louisiana Purchase that was once known as the “Missouri Territory” in 1804 , applied to Congress to become a state in 1819 . This request for statehood is a testament to the rapid growth of the Boonslick area as it changed from being a French and Spanish Territory into a US state. It was a very bumpy, but short ride, and eventually proved to be worth the struggle. Missouri Compromise of 1820 map, Library of Congress In (1818) Missouri applied to be admitted into the Union. This application caused a nationwide dispute between slavery and antislavery sympathizers which was not settled until 1820 with the Missouri Compromise. There were 10,000 slaves in Missouri at the end of the Civil War, most of them in the Boonslick area. When Missouri decided to become part of the Union, many members of Congress were not enthusiastic about admitting another slave state. In 1821 , Congress passed the Missouri Compromise, which allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine to enter as a free state. (1820) The question of Missouri statehood hangs in the balance until the Missouri Compromise is reached. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “The Missouri Constitution Convention met at the Mansion House Hotel in St. Louis, adopting the first Missouri Constitution five weeks later. Soon after, the first statewide elections were held for delegates to the general assembly and statewide offices including the governor and lieutenant governor. Missouri frontiersman Alexander McNair, who became the third man to fill the governor's chair following two other territorial governors, was technically, the first governor of Missouri. He received 72 percent of the vote, defeating the famous explorer and Missouri Territorial Governor William Clark. McNair served as governor from 1820-1824 . Among the new legislative body's first action was to make St. Charles the first state capitol. While Missouri was preparing for statehood, it stood at the center of fierce national debates on the future of enslaved Black people and the institution of slavery. Missouri’s admittance to the Union was in peril until the Missouri Compromise of 1820 , which allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state while Maine entered the U.S. as a free state, thus keeping the balance of slave and free states equal in congress. The Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery north of the 36th parallel at the southern boundary of Missouri.” One of several petitions circulated throughout the Missouri Territory and signed by its residents in the Washington County region in 1817. The petitions were presented to Congress in early 1818, marking the first attempt to have Missouri admitted as a state, C3982, State Historical Society of Missouri. (1821) Missouri becomes the 24th state admitted into the United States August 10, 1821. (Courtesy of the Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “U.S. Congress allowed for admission of Missouri as the 24th state, a result of the Missouri Compromise of 1820 , a decision that would ultimately lead to the American Civil War. The vote was close by both the House and Senate with all opposition coming from representatives from the free states. Missouri was the first state entirely west of the Mississippi River to be admitted to the Union. About the time of statehood, the 1820 U.S. Census had listed Missouri with a population of 66,586, although not an exact science in the early days of census taking. The first state capitol was located in St. Charles between 1821 and 1826 before moving to a permanent capitol building in Jefferson City. Despite all the steps taken to ensure statehood, some members of Congress still sought to block Missouri's admission citing what they saw as an unconstitutional attempt to ban non-white immigration into the new state. After the U.S. House of Representatives rejected Missouri's original constitution, Henry Clay brokered a Second Missouri Compromise whereby Missouri officials promised that no future law would bar non-white immigration in exchange for President James Monroe issuing a statehood proclamation, which he did on August 10, 1821 .” Written By: The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica Missouri Compromise , (1820), in U.S. history, measure worked out between the North and the South and passed by the U.S. Congress that allowed for admission of Missouri as the 24th state (1821 ). It marked the beginning of the prolonged sectional conflict over the extension of slavery that led to the American Civil War . United States: Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and Kansas-Nebraska Act Compromises over extension of slavery into U.S. territories. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. By early 1819 Congress was considering enabling legislation that would authorize Missouri to frame a state constitution. When Rep. James Tallmadge of New York attempted to add an antislavery amendment to that legislation on February 13, 1819 , however, there ensued an ugly and rancorous debate over slavery and the government’s right to restrict slavery. The Tallmadge amendment prohibited the further introduction of slaves into Missouri and provided for emancipation of those already there when they reached age 25. The amendment passed the House of Representatives , controlled by the more-populous North, but failed in the Senate, which was equally divided between free and slave states. Congress adjourned without resolving the Missouri question. The following summer a considerable body of public opinion in the North was rallied in support of the Tallmadge proposal. Much of that anti-Missouri sentiment , as it was called, arose from a genuine conviction that slavery was morally wrong. Political expediency was mixed with moral convictions . Many of the leading anti-Missouri men had been active in the Federalist party , which seemed to be in the process of disintegration; it was charged that they were seeking an issue on which to rebuild their party. The Federalist leadership of the anti-Missouri group caused some northern Democrats to reconsider their support of the Tallmadge amendment and to favor a compromise that would thwart efforts to revive the Federalist party. When it reconvened in December 1819 , Congress was faced with a request for statehood from Maine . At the time, there were 22 states, half of them free states and half of them slave states. The Senate passed a bill allowing Maine to enter the Union as a free state and Missouri to be admitted without restrictions on slavery. Sen. Jesse B. Thomas of Illinois then added an amendment that allowed Missouri to become a slave state but banned slavery in the rest of the Louisiana Purchase north of latitude 36°30′. Henry Clay then skillfully led the forces of compromise, engineering separate votes on the controversial measures. On March 3, 1820 , the decisive votes in the House admitted Maine as a free state, Missouri as a slave state, and made free soil all western territories north of Missouri’s southern border. When the Missouri constitutional convention empowered the state legislature to exclude free blacks and mulattoes, however, a new crisis was brought on. Enough northern congressmen objected to the racial provision that Clay was called upon to formulate the Second Missouri Compromise. On March 2, 1821 , Congress stipulated that Missouri could not gain admission to the Union until it agreed that the exclusionary clause would never be interpreted in such a way as to abridge the privileges and immunities of U.S. citizens. Missouri so agreed and became the 24th state on August 10, 1821 ; Maine had been admitted the previous year on March 15. Although slavery had been a divisive issue in the United States for decades, never before had sectional antagonism been so overt and threatening as it was in the Missouri crisis. Thomas Jefferson described the fear it evoked as “like a fire bell in the night.” Although the compromise measures appeared to settle the slavery-extension issue, John Quincy Adams noted in his diary, “Take it for granted that the present is a mere preamble—a title page to a great, tragic volume.” Sectional conflict would grow to the point of civil war after the Missouri Compromise was repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854 ) and was declared unconstitutional in the Dred Scott decision of 1857 . Missouri Compromise Map of the United States that denotes free and slave states as well as the territory open to slavery or freedom by the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, c. 1856. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. (digital ID g3701e ct000604) Admitted to the Union 1874 References: Missouri Life: References “Struggle for Statehood” State Historical Society of Missouri – Cooper County manuscripts collection Google Books – History of Cooper County Missouri, 1919 Google Books – History of Howard and Cooper Counties, Missouri, 1883 The county histories from 1876 to 1919 contain some inaccuracies and biases, but still produce some useful information and are certainly interesting reading. These three can be read or downloaded online. Google Books – A History of Cooper County Missouri, 1876

COOPER COUNTY TRAIN DEPOTS The first MKT Depot was built in Boonville around 187? just before the railroad reached Sedalia on its way to Boonville. The railroad continued on to Boonville, crossing the Missouri river on its way to Chicago. The original Depot was on the west side of the tracks and was used mainly for freight. After the second depot was built, the first Depot was used for storage until 1950 when it was removed. Two pictures of the first Depot. Notice that the terrain was much different than it is today. (WL Collection) Picture of people waiting at the station. Pictures of Pleasant Green and Pilot Grove Depots. (WL Collection) The second MKT depot, built in 1911 on the West side of the tracks, was a Mission style building which today is the location of the Boonville Area Chamber of Commerce, and it is also the start of the KATY walking and bike trail. The Katy Rail Road built 5 Spanish Mission Style Depots, and the Boonville Depot is the only one surviving. (Picture of current depot with caboose and signal light donated to the City by Wayne Lammers. (Fall picture of depot is on the first page of the website.) All photos from the Wayne Lammers collection First Boonville Train Depot Notice steep incline Close Up of First Boonville Train Depot First Depot Add pictures from earlier train section The text should be identical. The second MKT depot, built in 1911 on the West side of the tracks, was a Mission style building which today is the location of the Boonville Area Chamber of Commerce, and it is also the start of the KATY walking and bike trail. The Katy Rail Road built 5 Spanish Mission Style Depots, and the Boonville Depot is the only one surviving. Add pictures First Boonville Depot Second and Current Boonville Depot Lamine Train Depot Pleasant Green Depot IN OUR OWN BACKYARD The beautiful, historic Katy Depot as it looks today. PICTURE of Boonville Depot People travel far and wide to visit beautiful places with historic backgrounds. Boonville residents have only to step outside. One such location is at 320 First Street, the home of the Missouri, Kansas, Texas (MKT) Railroad Depot. Although the MKT arrived in Boonville on May 31, 1873, the Spanish mission style depot, which was for the convenience of passengers, wasn't constructed until about 1910. There were originally five identical such depots built—three in Oklahoma, one in Kansas, and one in Missouri. The one in Boonville is the only one that survives. Once a thriving part of Boonville, the depot used to see as many as 25-30 trains come and go on a daily basis. Many of them brought visitors to stay or see the sights. It was also a popular way for traveling salesmen, or "drummers," to travel around the country with trunks of samples. But the need for passenger trains decreased as automobiles came into everyday use. The last passenger train stopped in Boonville on May 1, 1958, and reduced the depot to just a freight stop, until finally, on October 4, 1986, the last freight train passed through Boonville. Today, the depot, which is owned by the Department of Natural Resources, still stands and is affectionately referred to as the Katy Depot. It is the home of the local Chamber of Commerce, Tourist Information Center, and District offices of the Division of State Parks. While the tracks of the MKT are gone, the trail lives on. An old, restored rail car is also on display. Today, the 237.7 miles between Machens and Clinton, Mo, make up the Katy Trail State Park on which thousands of bicycle enthusiasts pass through Boonville each year. Adapted from: Historically Yours by Elizabeth Davis