DEDICATION This website is dedicated to Ann Betteridge. Ann was one of the original Founders of the Cooper County Historical Society in 1990. Ann loved children, teaching, and history. She wrote a book of almost 300 pages named “Discover Cooper County by Looking Back.” For 25 years, Ann personally presented this book, free of charge, to every 4th grader in Cooper County, and her book is the inspiration and backbone of this website. Florence (Winky) Friedrichs, another Founding member of the CCHS, drew all of the lovely illustrations in the book, and some of those are used on this website. We owe both these ladies a debt of gratitude for preserving so much of Cooper County history.

STAGE COACHES When many of us think of stage coaches we think of them in relation to the “wild west”. But stages coaches were a very important means of travel in Cooper County for many years. A stage coach was a vehicle much like an enclosed wagon with a high roof, wooden sides and doors with windows on both sides. It had an elevated seat in the front where the driver, or “whip,” was seated. Inside were seats for the passengers. The passengers sat with their baggage on their lap and mail bags under their feet. If they wanted to sleep, they had to sleep sitting up. The stage coaches were designed for travel, not comfort! They were safer than traveling alone and were often the only way to travel any distance. Roads at this time were only dirt, often rocky, and muddy after rain or snow. There was no such thing as “road maintenance.” If something on the stage coach broke during the trip it would be up to the driver to fix it, hopefully he was carrying the needed spare parts such as axels, wheels or springs. Coaches were pulled by draft horses, many of them Clydesdales, because of their good temperament. Stages were pulled either by two horses or a team of four. The coaches were called “stage” coaches because the travel route was done in “stages.” Stations, or stage stops were usually 10 to 15 miles apart. The horses traveled about 5 miles per hour, and pulled the coach for two to three hours. At the end of the trip between one stop and the next, the horses were replaced by another team and the tired horses rested until the return trip. Some stages traveled 60 -70 miles a day. At some stops a meal or beverages might be available (at an extra cost), and some had provisions for sleeping. The cost of the journey was usually 10 to 15 cents per mile, which would be quite expensive based on today’s dollars. In the 1830s , a stage coach depot was located along the road between Boonville and Jefferson City. Known as "Midway" the stop was about 1 ½ miles east of the present site of Prairie Home, at Tompkins' Inn. In the mid-century, stagecoaches made regular trips to various towns in Missouri. The Tipton to Boonville Stage Coaches operated in the Cooper County area from 1850 to 1860 . Tipton-Boonville Stage Changed Horses at Biler Home Near Speed An interesting account of the "Tipton-Boonville Stage " written by Mrs. L.H. Childs appeared in The Boonville Advertiser - Rural Life Edition , in 1940. One and one-half miles east of Speed, in central Cooper County, stands a dilapidated but vivid reminder of the past. On the southwest corner of the crossroads at that point is an old-fashioned log house, and to the rear, only partly standing is an old barn. Up until 1868 this place buzzed with activity. It was the home of Mr. Abram Biler, his wife and two daughters, and the Boonville-Tipton stage coach made a regular stop there to change horses. The horses were cared for until the return trip, when they were changed again. The ladies served meals to the travelers. Mr. William Eller told that when he was a small boy, he would hear old Mike, the driver, come down the road blowing a bugle to let the people know the stage was coming. It is said Mike could crack his whip so loud the sound would travel almost a mile in the clear air as he drove his fine horses. Sometimes the road was hard and dry, and at other times the mud was ankle deep or the snow was drifted high, but the stage went through. The road, which now is of all-weather construction, was little more than a trail at that time. Jr. Irving Harness’ father sold the stage line a number of fine horses, as only the best animals were used to pull the coaches. It was quite a thrill for a number of small boys of the neighborhood when Mike would let them ride the stage to the bottom of the hill to the south. They never seemed to mind the tiresome walk back. In the 1830s, a stage coach depot was located along the road between Boonville and Jefferson City, known as "Midway." The stop was about 1½ miles east of the present site of Prairie Home, at Tompkins' Inn. In the mid-century, stagecoaches made regular trips to various towns in Missouri. The Tipton to Boonville Stage Coaches operated in the Cooper County area from 1850 to 1860. Stage coaches were also very instrumental in bringing immigrants, especially from Germany and Ireland, to the County. Stage coach days carried their humor and tragedy, as all generations do. When Mike would linger to talk to Miss Puss Biler, some of the passengers would grow quite impatient, but that would have no effect on Mike as he would have his little visit out before he would go. John King: first German-born immigrant of Lone Elm and Stagecoach driver. John King was born February 15, 1828, in Holstein, Germany. After fighting in the war between Germany and Denmark, he immigrated to the US for more freedoms. Entering the country at New Orleans, he went first to Iowa where he heard about free and cheap land available in the Kansas territory. He went to St. Louis, boarded a river steamer, and headed west for Atchison. At a stop in Boonville, King met some fellow countrymen and decided to stay in Cooper County. He got a job as a hostler in a stable on the stage route between Boonville and Jimtown. He made $12 a month, but made more when he became a stagecoach driver. His next job was on a farm near Pisgah making $15 a month. Four years later, Colonel Pope made him a partner. In three years, King had saved enough money to buy 180 acres of undeveloped prairie land in Lone Elm for $15 an acre. King kept buying land until he had 560 acres. John King was the first German-born immigrant of Lone Elm. In 1859 John married Miss Sophia Friedmeyer, who was also born in Germany. During the American Civil War, King served in the Missouri State Guard under Captain Tom George. Mr. King influenced many Germans to immigrate to America. For several years, John would meet newly arrived immigrants from Germany in New York, and help them on their journey to Cooper County, bringing them to Cooper County by Stagecoach. John King died on November 10, 1916. Sophia followed him in death seven years later on April 24, 1924. They are buried side by side in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Lone Elm. Sources: Carol Normal, Great granddaughter of John King, Elisabeth Davis of Historically yours. Another early settler from Germany was Stephen Young, who settled in Clear Creek in 1848. Stage Coaches and the Civil War During the last years of the Civil War period, an order was issued calling in all guns in an effort to stop guerrilla warfare. One evening, however, the report of a gun was heard and when neighbors investigated, they found M. Biler slain in his cucumber patch. Mr. Biler is buried with many other pioneers in the old Concord cemetery. When the branch railroad was completed between Boonville and Tipton, there was no further need for the stage line and it faded into history. Probably the last visible stage stop in Cooper County is located on the North side of Highway 5 between Boonville and Billingsville. The limestone block building was built by O.H.P. Shoemaker in 1860 and the stone was cut from a nearby quarry. He used smoother stone for the front of the building and rough-cut stone for the sides. The road in front of the house was the stage coach road/mail route to Warsaw. On the lintel above the door of the house is engraved “O.H.P. Shoemaker 1860 ”. The Shoemakers were Unionist, coming originally from Kentucky and Illinois. A son (or nephew) Horace, became a Captain during the Union occupation of Boonville and organized a voluntary cavalry unit to escort the mail, guard the telegraph wires and escort captured Confederates to Jefferson City. Capt. Shoemaker became a marked man when he took a local man named Spencer from imprisonment at the Boonville courthouse to Harley Park and hanged him without a trial. When General Price and the Confederates took control of Boonville in October 1864, Shoemaker surrendered and was confined with his family to his house in Boonville. In the dark of night, according to Van Ravensway, Spenser’s sons came for Shoemaker pretending to have orders from General Price. They took him away and Horace Shoemaker was never seen again. General Shelby was quoted later that the incident “will remain the most regrettable occurrence during the war”. East of the stone house three serious skirmishes took place that October. General Fagan stood off attacks by Union Generals Eppstein and Sanborn with heavy loss of life at Anderson’s Branch. Mrs. Shoemaker and her family, fearing further retribution fled to Oregon. The property was parceled and sold in 1866 $2,000 to Christian Osten and John Dumolt. In 1868 The Osage Valley and Southern Kansas Railroad was completed between Boonville and Tipton and the stone house was convenient to the depot at Billingsville. New immigrants arriving from Germany by steamboat took the train to Billingsville where they found welcome in their native language with the Dumolts who were originally from Alsace Lorraine. Once the railroad came through Cooper County, there was no longer a need for the stage coaches. Interestingly, once trucks and cars became popular, there was little use for trains for transportation and most of them eventually disappeared. The Dumolts and Fredericks lived in the stone house for many years, adding a kitchen and an extension to the living space at the back of the stone building. There were extensive log and frame stables on the property until the present owners, the Burnetts, cleared away the worn wooden structures, but saved the stone cottage and a large chiseled stone horse trough to preserve this part of Cooper County history. References: The Boonville Advertiser, 1940 CCHS Files Linda Burnett Dumolt Stage Stop on Route 5 near Billingsville Photo by Krista Jeppsen

MISSOURIANS AT THE ALAMO On March 6, 1836 , about 187 men (or more, according to some researchers) perished inside the adobe walls of a crumbling mission-turned-fort known as the Alamo at what is today San Antonio, Texas. Under siege for 13 days, the defenders – who were Anglo settlers, fellow American allies, and ethnic Mexican natives in revolt against the central Mexican government - were finally overwhelmed by a superior Mexican army force and killed to the last man in the early morning hours of March 6. Their bodies were then burned. Among those who died that day were six native Missourians: William Charles M. Baker, George D. Butler, Charles Henry Clark, George Washington Cottle, Jerry C. Day, and George W. Tumlinson. It is those men in particular that we talk about today. When we say they were Missourians we mean they were born in the territory that would become the State of Missouri, since we didn't get statehood until 1821 . Now that that is clarified, from this point on we will simply say Missouri instead of Missouri Territory. Like many of the Alamo defenders, not a whole lot is really known about most of the Missourians' backgrounds. William Charles M. Baker was born in Missouri, though we don't know his age, and he later moved to Mississippi. After the Texas Revolution erupted in October 1835 , Baker came to Texas as a volunteer to help in the revolt. He made his way to what was then San Antonio de Bexar and joined a rebel artillery battery that was involved in besieging the town, which at the time was held by national Mexican troops. After the Mexican force eventually surrendered, Baker became part of what I would characterize as a mounted infantry company that was sent elsewhere. However, he returned to San Antonio on January 19, 1836 as captain of a detachment of 30 men led by the famous adventurer Jim Bowie. Baker entered the Alamo fort and never left it again. George D. Butler was born in Missouri in 1813 , making him 23 years old when he died on that chilly March 6th morning. He was probably a member of the New Orleans Greys ("grey" spelled the English way), two companies of volunteers that were raised and equipped in New Orleans for the cause of Texas independence. If so, he would have been uniformed in a grey jacket and pants with a round forage cap and armed with either a military rifle or musket. Unlike most of the Alamo defenders, the New Orleans Greys looked like soldiers. Most of them arrived in time to take an active part in the siege of Bexar, mentioned above. The Greys were reorganized after the siege and most went on to serve the cause elsewhere, but 23 men stayed to help with the garrison's defense. All 23 perished at the Alamo on March 6. Charles Henry Clark, age unknown, was born in Missouri and was a member of the New Orleans Greys, one of the 23 men of his unit who remained behind at the Alamo. Like many men, he may have been on his way to Texas, by way of New Orleans, anyhow to apply for a land grant from Mexico when he enlisted in the Greys to take part in the uprising that would become a fight for Texas independence. Along the march to San Antonio de Bexar, Clark's company was treated to special dinners held in their honor, including one of roasted bear and champagne. Unfortunately for Clark, he would lose his life at the end of the road. George Washington Cottle was born in 1811 in Missouri, though there is a question if he was actually born in Tennessee and came to Missouri as a child. At any rate, since he is listed as a Missourian in some places, we have included him here. His family located to a colony near Gonzales Texas in 1829 . When the war broke out, he fought in the Battle of Gonzales early on. He was later one of the ill-fated 32 Gonzales men who rode to the aid of the Alamo defenders just five days before the slaughter on March 6. His wife gave birth to twin boys after his death. Jerry C. Day was 18 years old when he died at the Alamo. He was born in Missouri and came to Texas with his family. They settled at Gonzales. When the revolution started, the Days got involved, with Jerry's father, Jeremiah Day, becoming a wagoner for the Texan army and also a signer of the Goliad Declaration of Independence, a precursor to the official Texas Declaration by 73 days. Young Day fought in the siege of Bexar, was discharged from service, and then rejoined and became a member of the garrison at the Alamo where he died with the rest of his comrades. George W. Tumlinson was born in Missouri in 1814 . By the time of the Texas Revolution he was living in Gonzales. He enlisted in the revolutionary forces as an artilleryman and served in the siege of Bexar and then as part of the initial Alamo garrison. He was back in Gonzales, however, when the Alamo was surrounded. He probably felt a personal duty to help his comrades at his former post, and was part of the "Immortal 32" men of Gonzales who rode to the relief of the Alamo defenders, only to join them in their doom. So here's to our six fellow Missourians who died in the cause of Texas independence at a now famous place called the Alamo. Hats off, boys! Although we do not know if any of these men were from Cooper County, They deserve great credit for their bravery. Source: Texas State Historical Association

PREHISTORIC COOPER COUNTY Minerals and So ils This section is adapted from “Discover Cooper County by looking Back” by Ann Betteridge, 1995 (Edited by Mike Dickey, 2020) From the beginning of the Paleozoic era (542 million years ago ) through the end of Mesozoic era (65 million years ago ) Missouri was mostly covered by shallow inland seas or sometimes low swampy ground. For two thirds of the Cenozoic era (65 million – 2.6 million years ago ) Missouri was mostly dry and subtropical. During the Pleistocene epoch (2.6 million to 11,500 years ago ) four periods of glaciation covered much of North America. These glaciers extended almost to the Missouri River valley. Runoff from the melting glaciers formed the Missouri River about 400,000 years ago, reaching its current configuration about 11,500 years ago. The glaciers carried rocks and boulders which ground down the soil and deposited the resulting rich, black soil along the Missouri River. This soil was also deposited by the wind onto bluffs and hills. This is why land near the Missouri River consists of gentle rolling hills and is great farmland. The Missouri landscape in the Pleistocene epoch was roamed by megafauna like mastodons, mammoths, giant bison, giant beaver, stag-elk, giant sloths, glyptodonts (giant armadillos), peccaries, giant short-faced bears, dire wolves and sabre toothed cats. The megafauna went extinct by the end of this epoch. Animals that survived the extinction and still inhabit Missouri are the American bison, whitetail deer, wapiti (elk), beavers, black bears, and occasionally mountain lions. Crinoid Fossils FOSSILS Fossils of the Mississippian Period (359 – 324 million years ago ) were found at the old Sweeney Quarry near Clifton City. It is easy to observe the sedimentary layer of soil deposited by the inland sea at the quarry. Some of the common fossils found in the county are marine animals such as bryozoans, sponges, corals, brachiopods, gastropods, cephalopods, pelecypods and crinoids. The Crinoid is the Missouri State Fossil. Crinoids are a large group of invertebrate, marine animals somewhat flower-like in form and anchored by a stalk opposite of the mouth end. They are closely related to today’s sea-lilies, urchins and starfish. Crinoids are abundant in Cooper County. Some beds of limestone are almost completely composed of crinoid remains. The fossilized stems often appear as small circular disks with holes in the center. The largest fossil crinoid on record had a stem 40 m (130 ft) in length. In 2012 , three geologists reported they had isolated complex organic molecules from 340-million-year-old (Mississippian) fossils of multiple species of crinoids . Fossil crinoids apparently grew in large groups because their distribution in the rocks is irregular. Coral and shell fossils are also fairly abundant in some locales. Class: Crinoidea, Miller , 1821 Phylum: Echinodermata Kingdom: Animalia Subphylum: Crinozoa Vertebrate fossils are extremely rare in Cooper County. Dinosaur fossils in Missouri have been found only in Bollinger County. The remains of Pleistocene megafauna have been found in bone beds in the eastern Missouri Ozarks, along the Pomme de Terre and Osage rivers and in some Ozarks caves. Occasionally, mastodon teeth have been found in plowed fields in Cooper County. ROCKS AND MINERALS Missouri's State Rock Mozarkite is a colorful form of chert (flint) was adopted as the official state rock on July 21, 1967 , by the 74th General Assembly. An attractive rock, Mozarkite appears in a variety of colors, predominately white, gray, or brown in color, but in many locations with patches and swirls of pink, red, purple, orange, and yellow. The rock's beauty is enhanced by cutting and polishing into ornamental shapes for jewelry. Mozarkite is most commonly found in west-central Missouri south of the Missouri River. Benton County has been the major source for collecting Mozarkite. (RSMo 10.045) Missouri State Rock Mozarkite Photo by Wayne Lammers Missouri State Mineral Galena (Lead Ore) Missouri's State Rock Mozarkite was adopted as the official state rock on July 21, 1967 , by the 74th General Assembly. An attractive rock, Mozarkite appears in a variety of colors, most predominantly green, red or purple. The rock's beauty is enhanced by cutting and polishing into ornamental shapes for jewelry. Mozarkite is most commonly found in Benton County. (RSMo 10.045) How Mozarkite became the State rock by Bonnie Widel Rapp: In the 1950’s, Dad (Philip Widel ), who lived in Blackwater, became very interested in a certain type of rock that he found mostly in the Lincoln Missouri area. It was a type of chert, or flint, and was used as barter by the Indians, as it was valuable to them in making of arrows. Dad found it hard enough to be sawed by diamond saws, rated 7 on the Mohs scale and deemed to be of Gem quality. His fascination with it was, that though it was rough and ugly on the outside, when sliced, it exposed beautiful pinks, purples, blues and grays. Even more exciting were the scenes he could see, as one sees in clouds, lakes, mountains, waterfalls and even people. He carefully started cutting these scenes out and polished them to a high degree. His favorites, he framed with his silverware braids and glued them to a leather satchel, which he carried over his shoulder to the many rock shows he attended, despite its considerable weight. Quite an interest was stirred in this “new” rock and Dad traded it for semi-precious stone to other rock hounds who wanted a chance to explore its possibilities. This rock is found only in Missouri, about as far north as Marshall and south into Arkansas. The name of it is “Mozarkite” and it has always been told by those who knew him then, that Dad named it. The “mo” is taken from the abbreviation of Missouri, the “ozark” from the Ozark Mountains, and the “ite” classifies it as a rock. Articles I’ve collected from Missouri Life and other sources, make no mention of how the name was acquired. Dad became more and more intent on having Mozarkite named as the state rock, as we had a state bird, flower and tree. He made numerous trips to Jefferson City, where in the capitol he made talks and presented his collection for observation. On October 13, 1967, the 7th General Assembly passed Senate Bills #216 and #217, making Mozarkite the official state rock and Galena the state mineral. Dad received a letter telling him that the bill had been passed and was given the honorary title of “Mr. Mozarkite." Missouri State Mineral Galena (Lead Ore) Cubes of galena; photo by Rob Lavinsky on Wikipedia (use permitted with attribution / share alike: CC BY-SA 3.0 ). Missouri designated galena (lead sulfide) as the official state mineral in 1967 . Galena is the major source of lead ore, and Missouri is the top producer of lead in the United States. Galena is dark gray in color and breaks into small cubes. Lead is a very soft, blue-gray, metallic element that has been used since ancient times. It is a very heavy element, but it is rare for the element to appear alone in nature. Lead is normally combined with other elements, forming a variety of interesting and beautiful minerals - the most significant is galena, smelted worldwide for its lead content. The majority of lead is used to make batteries for cars, trucks and other vehicles, wheel weights, solder, bearings and other parts. Lead is also used in electronics and communications, ammunition, television glass, construction, and protective coatings. Some is used to make protective aprons for patients having x-rays to shield the body from excess radiation exposure, for crystal glass production, weights and ballast, and specialized chemicals. Missouri has long been a major producer of lead. In the War of 1812 era, nearly all the lead used by U.S. military forces came from Missouri Territory, mostly the “Lead District” of the southeast Missouri Ozarks. Galena has been found in both Lamine and Blackwater Townships. Etienne Sieur de Bourgmond was the first European whose journey up the Missouri River is documented. He paused at the mouth of the Lamine River in 1714 and wrote, “there are some prairies and a little low land above, where the Indians mine lead.” Mined galena has been found in archaeological sites associated with prehistoric Indian cultures, apparently used for decorative or ceremonial purposes. By the early 1700s the Osage learned simple smelting processes from the French and made molds for casting lead amulets, personal adornments and making bullets. Edwin James of Stephen Long’s 1819 Yellowstone Expedition reported on the surface mines along the Lamine River: “The diggings so often mentioned in this region as objects of curiosity. These are regular but very numerous excavations of little depth, but evidently the united labours of many persons, who were possessed of instruments of iron and steel…These excavations occur frequently in the extent of two or three miles”. Charles Lockhart believed this area may have held precious metals besides lead. In 1819 and 1820 he sometimes had as many as 30 hired laborers digging along the Lamine and Blackwater Rivers in a search for silver or gold. Instead he found only galena. Boiling salt at some of the briny springs in the Lamine valley became more profitable for him. Some market for Cooper County lead appears to have developed. The Gazetteer of Missouri (1837 ) says that “many thousand pounds of lead have been raised on the farm of Mr. William Scott.” This farm was located in Lamine Township. In 1869 , an Arrow Rock correspondent for the Saline County Progress newspaper reported, “Mr. Dills, 4 miles south of here [Arrow Rock] is succeeding with his new lead mines beyond all expectations.” However, lead mining did not remain a long-term industry in the area. Thomas Rainey of Arrow Rock reported in 1914 that the excavations along the Lamine River were still visible although overgrown by large trees. Although a vitally important commodity, lead is toxic and ingestion can cause damage to the digestive and nervous systems. Its use in some applications has been discontinued - as with lead-based paints, which have a sweet taste. Some children would eat paint chips, causing lead poisoning. Tailings, the waste from lead mining operates can contaminate water resources and has been the focus of environmental cleanup projects conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency or the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. CHERT (Flint) Rocks and minerals form important natural resources. Nodules and beds of silica carbonate which forms chert were deposited when Burlington limestone bluffs began to be formed about 325 million years ago. Chert is actually the proper name for flint. The highest grades of chert are like glass and will flake into razor sharp edges. This chert comes from volcanic regions of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest and was traded by American Indians across the continent. Missouri chert is of a lower quality but was still very useful. Nearby major sources for chert were the Arrow Rock bluff and the Manitou Bluffs near Rocheport. Other small outcroppings of chert occur throughout the region. Native Americans produced arrowheads, lance and dart points and tools such as hide scrapers and drills by chipping them from chert. CLAY, SAND and GRAVEL Clay was made into pots for cooking, storage of food and hauling water. As time advanced, vessels became more decorative. Adding ground pieces of mussel shell to the clay tempered it and made the vessels more durable. Pottery was made not only by Indians, but by European and American settlers as well. A significant pottery works existed at Pilot Grove in the 19th century. Clay was also fired in kilns to make bricks. Brickyards for manufacturing existed in Boonville and probably other communities as well. The extensive number of 19th century structures in Cooper County built with handmade bricks also attests to the quality of clay deposits in the region. Sand and gravel companies operate near Boonville producing sand, rock, and agricultural lime. The sand and gravel are fundamental materials for construction and road building. The lime is produced from crushed limestone and sold to farmers for application on their fields to improve the pH acidity of the soil, improving the uptake of nutrients in plants and allowing for better penetration of water into soil. IRON ORE in the form of red hematite , has been found in outcrops along the Lamine and Blackwater River. Red and black hematite was ground to powder by American Indians and mixed with animal grease to produce body paint for ceremonial purposes. There are some reports of iron ore being commercially mined in the 19th century, but it did not become a major industrial enterprise. COAL Large quantities of coal were surface mined in Boonville Township. Coal formed from vast amounts of decomposing vegetation in swamps during the Carboniferous Period about 358 to 258 million years ago. The coal mined in this area was cannel, a hot burning bituminous variety. The relatively small fireboxes in some surviving 19th structures in the region indicates that coal, rather than wood, was burned in them. Coal burned hotter and longer than wood. The remains of large strip mines can still be observed in some areas. Cannel coal from south of Arrow Rock was exhibited at the New York Industrial Exhibition in 1854 . The British House of Commons appointed a committee to attend the exhibition and they were impressed by the quality of the coal. The Missouri State Board of Agriculture reported in 1874 that “There are fine deposits of cannel coal near Arrow Rock, and lead and iron which are successfully mined.” But again, mining these minerals did not remain as a significant economic enterprise into the 20th century. LEAD LEAD has been found in both Lamine and Blackwater Townships. Missouri has long been a major producer of lead. In the War of 1812 era, nearly all the lead used by U.S. military forces came from the Missouri Territory. Without lead for bullets, the Americans could have lost the War in the Boonslick area and areas further East. Lead was so important to Missouri’s economy that galena, the principal ore of lead, is designated the State Mineral. Etienne Sieur de Bourgmond was the first European whose journey up the Missouri River is documented. He paused at the mouth of the Lamine River in 1714 and wrote, “there are some prairies and a little low land above, where the Indians mine lead. Mined galena has been found in archaeological sites associated with prehistoric Indian cultures, apparently used for decorative or ceremonial purposes. By the early 1700s the Osage learned simple smelting from the French and made molds for casting lead amulets and personal adornments. SALT and SALT LICKS Cooper County, and neighboring Saline and Howard counties, contain large amounts of salt deposited as prehistoric seas retreated from the area. Water percolating through the ground resulted in the formation of many saltwater springs and briny creeks in the region. The Boonville Western Emigrant newspaper reported in 1839 : “The extraordinary number of salt springs found in the Boon’s Lick country & the quantities of pure salt water they discharge, forms a marvel to the curious, and must at some future day, prove a source of great profit.” One of the largest of these saltwater springs was Mackay’s Lick about eight miles northwest of New Franklin in Howard County. James Mackay obtained a Spanish grant for the land around the salt springs in 1795 as a reward for mapping the Missouri River. A “lick” was a place frequented by animals to lick the natural salt deposits around the springs. In 1805 , Nathan and Daniel Morgan Boone, sons of frontiersman Daniel Boone, established a salt manufacturing business there in partnership with James and Jesse Morrison of St. Charles. The Boones used twelve, 20-gallon kettles to boil the brine water. The remaining salty sediment was dried and packed in barrels called hogsheads. Approximately one gallon produced two teaspoons of salt. In 1807 , they expanded their operation, and added forty more kettles and hired extra men to help. The salt was shipped by keelboat to St. Louis to sell. The keelboat would return in about two weeks’ time, laden with supplies for the salt operation. In those days before refrigerators and freezers, salt was one of the main ways to preserve food. Salt was also used for the tanning process for leather to make shoes, saddles, and harnesses. The abundance of salt in the region was one attraction for white settlers. Consequently, many bypassed the open land in eastern Missouri to come directly to the Boonslick Country. Courtesy of Sharon Dyer MINERAL WATER As early as 1855 , the medicinal qualities of the Chouteau Springs mineral water were touted in newspapers. A spa resort and a community grew up around the five springs: two with fresh water and three with sulpher water. The fresh water was sold in two-gallon crock jugs throughout the state for its “healthful” benefits. The resort entered its heyday in the 1870s and remained in operation until about 1960 . All that remains of the once thriving resort now are ruins. Tar Balls in Cooper Cou nty By Wayne Lammers While deer hunting half way between Boonville and Lamine, I discovered many very black balls of all sizes and forms in the corn field that I was in. I retrieved many of them and brought them home. In my inspection, I found they ranged from golf ball size balls all the way down to pea size. I had never seen one like this before. I could tell that the ball was made of tar by the smell. I did my research and found the millions of years ago this land was reinventing itself by making new earth and land. In doing this, pockets of oil or tar bubbled to the surface creating these small balls of tar. I further discovered that the Indians used these tar balls to seal the inside and outside of their early canoes while navigating the Missouri and Lamine Rivers. Tar Balls in Cooper County SOILS Alluvial soils are of recent origin and have been deposited in the flood plains of streams, particularly the Missouri River. The silt carried and deposited by the river also produced some of the richest farmland in the nation. There are at least 46 different types of soils listed in the Soil Survey of Cooper County, Missouri, published by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. A copy can be found online. The quality of much of the soil of Cooper County is highly conducive to row crops. The tillable land in this area is another reason many early settlers came to the county. For general information from the Missouri Archaeological Society Washington University in St. Louis has a nice site on Geology of Missouri

EARLY NEWSPAPERS The "Boonville Herald," the first newspaper in Cooper County, was established in 1834 by James O. Middleton and edited by Benjamin E. Ferry. Four years later, Robert Brent bought a half interest in the paper and its name was changed to "The Western Emigrant." The second newspaper in Cooper County appeared the following year to assist in the 1840 election campaign. The "Missouri Register" was published by William T. Yoeman was the first Democratic paper in western Missouri. Both newspapers changed name and ownership several times over the following years, but neither survived the American Civil War. Although Boonville was the county seat, other newspapers were created within Cooper County. Bunceton, for many years the second largest town in Cooper County, boasted several newspapers over the years. The "Bunceton Enterprise", "The Bunceton Eagle", "The Bunceton News", and "The Bunceton Tribune" all contributed to local news. The last to fold was "The Bunceton Eagle" in 1943. Pilot Grove also boasted a number of newspapers in its past. The earliest, "The Pilot Grove Record," was established in 1880. "The Pilot Grove Bee" was another early paper in Pilot Grove although its exact date of operation is not documented. Other papers that have come and gone include: "The Cooper County Leader," "Pilot Grove Herald," Pilot Grove Enterprise," and "The Sentinel-Star" which went out of business in 1952. Otterville had two newspapers, the "Otterville Weekly" and "The War Eagle & Camp Journal of the Army of the West," start publication during the Civil War in 1861. Other papers appeared after the war: "The Little Missourian" and "The Otterville Mail" which closed in 1924. The town was without a newspaper until 1958 when "The Otterville Community News," began operations. Blackwater, too, at one time had its own newspaper. "The Blackwater News," which was established in 1892, ceased publication in 1923. Boonville, as the county seat, had the largest population and the most newspapers. Some of the names from this list are merely name changes while others are new papers: "Boonville Herald", "Missouri Register", "Boonville Observer", "Boonville Commercial Bulletin", "Weekly Democrat", "Boonville Weekly Observer", "Central Missourian", "Boonville Weekly Patriot", "Fifth Iowa Register", "Central Missouri Advertiser", and the "Boonville Monitor". None of these papers survived the Civil War. Other papers came after the war, papers such as "The Boonville Eagle", the "Boonville Missouri Advertiser", the "Central Missourier", and "The Weekly Topic". Today, with economical and technological changes, Boonville is down to one newspaper, "The Boonville Daily News". These are the newspapers that were published in Early Cooper County from about 1910 to current date. Many of these early papers have few or no issues left in existence, so information is slim for most of them. Research: Ray Owens BLACKWATER Blackwater Advance Blackwater Wave Blackwater Echo Blackwater Times Blackwater News BOONVILLE Between 1900 and 1930 The Boonville Advertiser was the main Democratic paper and the Central Missouri Republican was the main Republican paper. Eventually the two papers merged under one owner and became the Boonville Daily News, that is still in operation. BUNCETON Bunceton Enterprise Bunceton Telegram Bunceton Weekly Eagle Bunceton News Bunceton Tribune OTTERVILLE War Eagle (Civil War Military paper) The First Division Proclamation (Civil War Military Paper) Otterville Weekly Otterville Argus Otterville Call Otterville Mail Otterville Community News (Still running) PILOT GROVE Pilot Grove Bee Pilot Grove Mirror Cooper County Leader Pilot Grove Herald Pilot Grove Enterprise Pilot Grove Record Pilot Grove Star Pilot Grove Sentinel-Star WOOLDRIDGE Wooldridge Star Source: Ray Owens EARLY COOPER COUNTY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES Here are a few political comments from the September 1, 1916, Boonville Weekly Advertiser. “During a recent short trip across the Canadian border, Mr. Hughes was held up and his car searched for explosives. As there was nothing more dangerous than his Detroit speech, he and his party were liberated very promptly. ”As a mud slinger, a chronic scold, Judge Hughes is the greatest candidate ever placed before the public for any office.” “ ‘The only thing needed to carry Missouri,’ says the Globe-Democrat, ‘is a proper campaign.’ Not the only thing;--a proper candidate, a proper platform, proper issues and a proper party behind all these might help some.” Other changes between 1916 and 2016 focus on finances and the cost of living. Central National Bank, for instance, paid 2% interest on checking accounts, 3% on 6-months deposits, and 4% on 12-months deposits. Today, few if any types of bank deposits make even 2%. Cigarettes on the other hand are sky-high. The cheapest brand today is over $2 a pack, but Chesterfield’s, one of the premium brands in 1916, were only 10-cents a pack. And used National Cash Register registers were advertised on sale between 5-cents and $10. The listed new price was $175. Need a place to live? You might be able to find a studio apartment today for $250 a month. In 1916? “House for Rent—Four rooms, water in kitchen, price $9. South Third Street.” Back then, water in kitchen was a good thing. Today, it means ‘fixer upper.’ Source: "Historically Yours "by Elizabeth Davis. NEWSPAPER ARTICLES 90+ YEARS AGO Reporting the news has changed a lot over the years. Today one has only to punch a button on a smart phone to get international news as it happens. In our early days, colonists relied on newspapers. While newspapers are still around, they have changed dramatically - they can even be read online. Many magazines have stopped printing all together and gone to electronic versions. But what were newspapers like before all this modern technology changed us into an instant gratification generation? “The Cooper County Republican” was established in 1929 and published every Tuesday. Here are some of the headlines that appeared on the front page of the January 18, 1938, issue. “Roosevelt Vetoes Bill to Hike Hourly Pay of Postal Char-workers” “Improvement Shown in Missouri Public Schools” “Daily Papers Protest Rise in Paper Prices” Other news which appeared as short announcements included the following: FDR held a press conference (before the Recession Parley) that all Holding Companies had to go; a photo and caption: “FDR’s Recession Parley--Labor Leader John Lewis and Financier Owen D. Young leaving the White House and being interviewed by reporters”; and “St. Louis—UAWA Strikers Receive First Ford Peace Offer”. Ford’s seniority list would include UAWA members and consent to a Union election. In return, they asked the Union to call off the strike and withdraw all charges of unfair practices. The front page included local news as well. “Pythian Notice: The first bridge party to be held after the Christmas holidays will be held at Caste Hall here tomorrow evening at 8 o’clock. All members, their family and friends are urged to attend.” Funerals, marriage licenses, and birth announcements were also included in local news. Inside pages: Today, some papers print books reviews. In the 1930s, “The Cooper County Republican” printed whole chapters. One issue might have Chapter 1 then skip two weeks and print Chapter 6. One could never read the whole book in the paper, but it was entertaining and led to sales. HIPPA is responsible for some of the changes. Announcements like, “Mrs. Jones and new baby dismissed from St. Joseph Hospital,” and “Mr. Smith underwent an operation this morning at St. Joseph Hospital” are no longer allowed due to privacy laws. While the story of a man robbed and left beaten on the side of the road would still make it into today’s news, it’s highly unlikely that a picture of him in his hospital bed, caption reading, “semi-conscious patient with brain damage”, would be allowed. These are just a few of the changes that have taken place in newspapers over the past 80 years. Who knows what another 80 years will bring. Adapted from: " Historically Yours " by Elizabeth Davis Otterville Newspaper was named Otterville Mail In 1872, J.L. Johnson, established the Otterville Call paper. After a short time he sold it to James Eubank, a prominent teacher of Otterville. Eubank, after a short time sold it to Frank Varner, also a resident of the town. Mr. Varner then leased it to Pearce & Holman, soon after taking charge they changed its name to the Cooper County Mail. Pearce & Holman ran the paper one year, when it passed on to G.P Garland, an old newspaper man. The Mail is an independent local paper, advocating no political doctrine except that of good government. Mr. Garland edits a paper which redounds much credit to Otterville. Mr. Garland died in 1939 in Otterville at the age of 96. Missouri’s 29th Lt. Governor born in Bellair, Missouri Newspapers S. W. Crossley was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, on November 23, 1842. Crossley was a Confederate veteran who fought in the Stonewall Jackson Brigade. After losing an arm in the war he became a noted educator and settled for a time in Bellair, Mo. Professor and Mrs. Crossley’s only son, Wallace Clifford Crossley, was born in Bellair on October 4, 1874. Wallace Crossley grew up in Mexico, Mo., and after high school graduation, he attended William Jewell College in Liberty and the University of Missouri. He returned to Mexico to teach English before his career took him to Warrensburg Normal School, which after several name changes is now the University of Central Missouri. In 1904, Crossley was elected as a Representative to Missouri’s General Assembly. He served three two-year terms under Governors Joseph “Holy Joe” Wingate Polk and Herbert Spencer Hadley. Crossley went into the newspaper business in 1907 when he became publisher of the Journal-Democrat. The two papers had merged in 1876. Following another merger in February 1913, the paper became the Star-Journal. He would continue as published until his death in 1943. Crossley was only out of the General Assembly two years. In 1912, he was returned to Jefferson City for a four-year term as a Senator under Governor Elliot Woolfolk Major. In 1916, Wallace Crossley was elected 29th Lt. Governor of the State of Missouri. He and newly elected Governor Frederick “Fred” Dozier Gardner served from January 8, 1917, to January 10, 1921. It was during these four years that Missouri went from a debt of $2,250,000 to a surplus of $3,500,000. Wallace Clifford Crossley died on December 13, 1943, and is buried in Sunset Hills Cemetery in Warrensburg. J. Melton and Big Sky Park - part of Harley Park Newspapers 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.”

EARLY EXPLORERS (1658) was the date given by local historian, Charles van Ravenswaay, for the first visit by white men to this area. He believed this honor belonged to Pierre Radisson, a French Canadian, and his brother-in-law, Medard Chouart, Sieur des Grosselliers. Radisson wrote in his journal that he had been where the great river (the Mississippi) divided itself. The river was called the “Forked,” because it had two branches: one towards the west, the other towards the north. They went up the Missouri, or the west fork as they knew it. (1673) Father Pierre Marquette and Louis Joliet became the first Europeans to record seeing the Missouri River. “As we were gently sailing down the still, clear water, we heard a noise of a rapid into which we were about to fall. I have seen nothing more frightful, a mass of large trees entire with branches, real floating islands came from Pekitanoui [Missouri River], so impetuous that we could not without great danger expose ourselves to pass across. The agitation was so great that the water was all muddy, and could not get clear. The Pekitanoui is a considerable river coming from the northwest and empties into the Mississippi. Many towns are located on this river and I hope to make the discovery of the Vermilion or California Sea [Pacific Ocean].” Pekitanoui in the language of Marquette’s Peoria Indian guides meant “Great Muddy.” However the two explorers did not venture up its turbid waters. The next European to record the Missouri was Robert Sieur de la Salle. He claimed the drainage of the Mississippi River for France. He passed the mouth of the Missouri River on September 1, 1682 . He did not ascend the river but wrote that its “water is always thick and to which our Indians did not forget to offer sacrifice.” The “sacrifice” would have been a gift of tobacco placed in the water to placate a water spirit, the Underwater Panther. It was plea for the Underwater Panther to allow them to pass peacefully and not pull them into the river to drown. In 1683 , LaSalle wrote that two Frenchmen had been captured by the Missouria tribe and had been living in their villages since 1680 or 1681. In May or June of 1683, two unnamed French traders accompanied by Kaskaskia (Iliniwek) Indians visited the Missouria and Osage, with the goal of establishing peace and trade. It seems likely that these men or the ones recorded by LaSalle were the origin of the Osage tradition about meeting white men for the first time. The last mention of the Missouri River in the 17th century was by Father Jerome St. Cosme in 1698. He sought native converts to Catholicism but said little about the river itself. In 1700 an unidentified writer told Governor Iberville in the capital of Biloxi that the land west of the Mississippi beyond three or four leagues (10-15 miles) was unknown. Pierre-Charles Le Sueur reported that on the Missouri River there were tin and lead mines. He also described the Missouria tribe as the first people to be encountered when going upriver. Father Marest of the Kaskaskia mission in the Illinois Country also described in 1700 the Kaw, Pawnee, Otoe and Ioway tribes along the Missouri and said that they all had Spanish horses. However neither man had been on the Missouri River. Rather they got these reports from Indians visiting trade centers in Illinois. In 1702 Father Marc Bergier in Illinois asked for permission to establish a mission among the Pawnee and Kaw on the Missouri River. He wanted to go to them because the “Osage were too numerous and the Missouria were reduced to nothing.” It is possible he was referring to one the first of many smallpox epidemics that began reducing the Missouria who were described as “once the most powerful nation on the Missouri River.” The Osage said that the Missouria were too friendly with the French and as a result the weluschka, Little Mystery Men, living inside the white men caused many Missouria to sicken and die. In 1703 Governor Iberville reported that a party of 20 Canadians departed Cahokia intent on reaching New Mexico via the Missouri River. The commonly held belief was that the headwaters of the Missouri formed near the silver mines north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. On September 6, 1704 Governor Bienville reported that parties of French-Canadian traders were traveling on the Mississippi and Missouria in bands of seven or eight. Undoubtedly, courier des bois (woods runners) had been on the Missouri for years to hunt or trade with Indians. However, these people were illiterate and their activities were often unknown to the territorial government. The first definite and detailed exploration of the Missouri was by Etienne Veniard de Bourgmont in 1714 . Bourgmont married into the Missouria tribe and also lived for a period with the Osage. A map produced in 1717 from Bourgmont’s notes presented a reasonably accurate map of the Missouri from its mouth to the mouth of the Platte River in Nebraska. Groups of French-Canadian hunters and traders continued pressing further upriver each year. By the time the French secretly surrendered Louisiana to Spain in 1762 , the Missouri River as far as the Niobrara River in Nebraska, was well known to traders from St. Louis. Spain on the other hand was slow to press any further exploration of the Missouri River. In the meantime British traders from Hudson Bay and the Northwest Company began trading with the Mandan and Hidatsa in North Dakota. Spanish officials formed the “Missouri Company” to counter British activities on the Missouri River. Jean Baptiste Truteau was commissioned to explore the river and establish a trading post for the Mandan. He got underway in the spring of 1794, but was robbed of his trade goods by the Teton Lakota (Sioux) and did not return to St. Louis until 1796 . In 1795 another expedition departed St. Louis under the leadership of a man named Lecuyer, to support Truteau. Lecuyer stopped at a Ponca village near the mouth of the Niobrara River where he took up residence and at least two wives. It was reported that he “wasted a great deal of the goods of the Company." James Mackay, a Scotsman had traded with the Mandan as early as 1787. He became disaffected with the British and became a citizen of Spanish Louisiana in 1793 . He and John T. Evans were commissioned to proceed up the Missouri, make allies with Indian nations, expel the British and find a route to the Pacific Ocean. They departed in August of 1795 with thirty men and four pirogues with trade goods for the Arikara, Sioux, and Mandan. The built a small fort at the Otoe village and made an alliance with the Omaha, where they built Fort Charles. After spending the winter with the Omaha, Evans proceeded to the Mandan in June of 1796 but was delayed by the Arikara. He took possession of a British fort in June and raised the Spanish flag in the Mandan village. However his trade goods were low and the British traders undermined his efforts with a large supply of superior trade goods. Mackay and Evans returned to St. Louis in the summer of 1797 . Although their mission failed to establish a strong Spanish presence on the upper Missouri River, their journals, tables of physical features and maps from their expedition would be of great benefit to the Lewis and Clark Expedition seven years later. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are noted for their exploration from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. President Jefferson requested funding to explore Louisiana in January of 1803 , before Napoleon even offered to sell the territory. After the U.S. acquired the territory on April 3, 1803, impetus was added to the need for an expedition to explore the new land. Jefferson’s appointed his secretary, Meriwether Lewis, and Lewis’s friend William Clark, to lead the expedition. Their mission was to meet and inform Indian nations along the way, of America’s ownership of the territory and also search for a water route to the Pacific Coast, the fabled “Northwest Passage.” They were also to record the plant, animal and geologic features they encountered. They traded and explored along the Missouri River. This area was becoming fairly familiar to whites by 1800. The voyages of exploration were about to come to an end. (1804) The Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, leaves St. Louis up the Missouri River to find a trading route to the Pacific (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “The Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, leaves St. Louis in a 55-foot keelboat to begin an epic two-year journey westward up the Missouri River to reach the Pacific Ocean near present-day Astoria, Oregon. Among the crew members was Shoshone Indian and translator Sacagawea joined the corps at the Hidatsa villages during the winter of 1804-1805 while she was six months pregnant and gave birth along the way. She was familiar with the terrain having grown up in the region of the Rocky Mountains. Sacagawea was one of the wives to a French-Canadian fur trader, who was a member of the crew. U.S. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the expedition to explore the Missouri River, make diplomatic contact with Indians, expand the American fur trade, and locate the Northwest Passage - a then hypothetical northwestern water route to the Pacific Ocean.” LEWIS and CLARK’s expedition was commissioned by the U.S. Government in 1804 to explore the upper Missouri and search for its source. Additionally, the U.S. had just acquired the Huge Louisiana Territory, and didn’t know what they had. While the official reason for the expedition was to explore the upper Missouri River, President Jefferson secretly hoped they would find a river route to the Pacific. On June 6, 1804 they arrived near the mouth of Moniteau Creek. Nearby they observed the bluff was covered with pictographs (paintings) done by American Indians. This place was infested with rattlesnakes, making a closer look dangerous. They camped for the night of June 7, near the mouth of the Bonne Femme River. They crossed the Lamine River on June 8th and Clark wrote that the river was navigable for 80 to 90 miles. They camped for the night on “Island of Mills” later known as Arrow Rock Island. On the 9th, they passed the Arrow Rock bluff. The expedition returned in 1806, camping on September 18th on the north side of the river opposite the mouth of the Lamine. On their expedition, they camped for the night of June 7, 1804 , near where the Bonne Femme flows into the Missouri River on the north side. When they arrived at the mouth of Moniteau Creek, they found a point of rocks covered with strange hieroglyphic paintings that deeply aroused their interest. This place was infested with a large number of rattlesnakes, making a closer look dangerous and almost impossible. As they traveled further up the river, they arrived at the mouth of the Lamine on June 8th. On the 9th, they reached what is now Arrow Rock. On their return trip in 1806, they passed the present sites of Boonville and Franklin. This area was becoming fairly familiar to whites by 1800. The voyages of exploration were about to come to an end. References : Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Arrow Rock State Historic Site Lewis and Clark Expedition - excellent information and maps John James Audubon (1785 – 1851) was a naturalist, ornithologist and painter. He combined his interests and planned to make a complete pictorial record of all bird species in North America. In the course of collecting and illustrating birds, he is credited with discovering 25 new species. In 1804 he became the first person to band birds to study their movements and nesting patterns. Audubon was working in southeast Missouri when the New Madrid earthquake struck in 1811, but his residence survived the general destruction. During his wanderings in Missouri and Arkansas, he fell in with hunting parties of Osage and Shawnee Indians learning about local wildlife from them. In 1843, he journeyed up the Missouri River and arrived in Cooper County on March 29: “We were off at five this rainy morning, and at 9 A.M. reached Boonville distant from St. Louis about 204 miles. We bought at this place an axe, a saw, three files, and some wafers; also some chickens, at one dollar a dozen. We found here some of the Santa Fe traders with whom we had crossed the Alleghenies. They were awaiting the arrival of their goods, and then would immediately start”. Audubon cared about the animals and plants he studied. He published Birds of America between 1827 and 1838 containing prints of 435 species of birds that he painted. Original editions of his prints are collector’s items and his works are still used for reference. In 1905 , the Audubon Society became the first conservation organization in North America. Today it has about 300 branches and clubs. Adapted from “Discover Cooper County by Looking Back” by Ann Betteridge

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. WELCOME! This website has been newly expanded by volunteers from the Cooper County Historical Society, county residents, and volunteers from other historical groups from the Boonslick area. O ur goal is to preserve as much of Cooper County’s early history as possible - online, in one place, for future generations to come! Other Historical groups that have contributed to this website are: Friends of Historic Boonville, River, Rails & Trails Museum, South Howard County Historical Society, Boonslick Historical Society, Arrow Rock State Historic Site, and the Boonslick Road Association. Each of these groups share the same goal of preserving the area’s history, but each has a different focus on what is collected – yet each group preserves several different areas of information. We complement each other’s historical research and resources beautifully. Click here for more information about our volunteers and developers. A FEW ICONIC MONUMENTS Katy Depot Roslyn Heights Hannah Cole Statue Barn Quilt Katy Bridge Thespian Hall Photos from the collections of Wayne Lammers and Edward Lang THANK YOU, HANNAH COLE Picture of the Hannah Cole statue Prior 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 in 1803-1804 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. By Barbara Dahl, Editor

PRE-CIVIL WAR THE CIVIL WAR 1861-1864 RESULTED IN CHANGES IN COOPER COUNTY POPULATION If we consider the census records, the period between 1860 and 1910 looks like the “Boom Time” for Cooper County, as the population increased by 5,351, and many new businesses were opened. Yet, the “Boom” did not really start until after the end of the Civil War, and the Reconstruction period was over. THE CIVIL WAR AND POPULATION “The Civil War is a bitter part of the history of both Cooper County and Missouri. Neighbors and even families were divided between North and South. Missouri was truly a divided Border State. When Missouri was admitted to the Union, as a slave state, it tried to remain neutral and did not want to break up the Union. But since many of the early residents were from the South, it was natural for them to favor slavery. Central Missouri had already become a very wealthy area due to the rich soil for crops, especially tobacco. This was only possible because the landowners brought their slaves with them to work the land. We often hear how poorly slaves were treated. And that may be true in some instances. But studies have shown that most slaves were well treated and were considered to be almost members of the owner’s family. The only difference was that they lived apart from owners family and ate their meals from the kitchen. True, their cabins were not something we would want to live in today, and their clothing was basic, but that was over 200 year ago and standards were in many ways were different. Missouri men fought on both sides of the Civil War. But some, on both sides, seemed to enjoy antagonizing people. It was common for Union soldiers to stop a passerby to demand people pledge their allegiance to the Union. This harassment caused many people to become Southern sympathizers. However the Southern guerrillas were just as bad. Source: A History of Pilot Grove, Missouri The two battles and two occupations and the resulting ravages of the Civil War, began with a skirmish on June 17, 1861, (the First Battle of Boonville) and the war would last on and off for four years. Families and farms, both those in Boonville, and the rest of Cooper and surrounding counties, were attacked by the Union Army. Bushwhackers, and looters: During the war, farms and homes in Boonville, and in surrounding areas, were looted of all visible food in order to feed the armies on both sides. Valuables, even blankets, and furniture were taken. Meanness and anger seemed to be everywhere. Homes, barns and crops were burned, leaving the civilians and farmers with nothing. Grain mills and a few churches were also badly damaged or destroyed. In fact, almost all County church activity was disrupted during the War. One of our members (“Winky” Friedriches) said that when her grandmother heard that the “Yankees“ were coming, they buried all their silver. After the war, they found only a few of pieces that they had buried. Where the rest went, no one knew. Before the war ended on June 02,1865, three more battles would be fought in the Boonville area. The devastations of war were eventually experienced by almost everyone in the County and surrounding areas. Many citizens were forced to abandon their homes and farms, while other citizens were robbed or killed. Very few horses were left in the County by the end of the war. WHY DID THE CIVIL WAR START IN CENTRAL MISSOURI? Missouri had already been accepted into the Union as a slave state prior to the war, but there were still very strong, differing opinions on both sides of that decision. Yet, Missouri voted to stay with the Union, although Governor Jackson refused to send troops to fight for the Union. It seems that the “key” reason that Boonville was chosen for the early battle was the fact that it was located in the center of the state of Missouri and was on the Missouri River. Being on the river meant that troops, artillery, horses, food and equipment could be quickly and easily moved to the area of battle. Being in the center of the state allowed the Union troops to easily move anywhere they were needed. SLAVERY AND THE CIVIL WAR Boonville’s Earliest Connections to the Civil War, Started Long Before the Civil War started Slavery was complicated. The Civil War didn’t “just happen.” It was the culmination of many events that took place over many years. Some of those events took place in Missouri and many of the people involved got their professional start in Boonville at that time. To understand what happened and its significance to Missouri, we need to back up to the mid-1790s. 1. Somewhere around 1795, Mr. and Mrs. Whiteside’s and their slave girl “Winny” moved from Carolina to Illinois, which at that time was part of the 1789 Northwest Ordinance Territory and “free”. By 1800, the family had moved to Missouri. In 1818, Winny sued for her freedom in the Superior Court of the Missouri Territory. The case wasn’t heard until after Missouri achieved statehood, so it was transferred to the state Circuit Court of St. Louis County. Winnie’s argument was that her residence in the Northwest Territory made her free, and after a jury trial in February 1822, the court ruled in her favor. Meanwhile… Howard County was created in 1816. With land on both sides of the Missouri River, it physically covered more than 1/3 of the state, including what is now Cooper County. Howard County’s first Circuit Court convened in Boonville on July 8 of that year and one of the four attorneys who attended that first term was Edward Bates. Bates would later play a much larger role than a county lawyer. As the population grew on both sides of the river, people asked that Howard be made into two counties. In December 1818, all of Howard County south of the Missouri River became Cooper County. Boonville was the location for the new County’s first Circuit Court which began on March 1, 1819. Over the next two years, 14 lawyers were enrolled to practice in Cooper County, three of whom were George Tompkins, John F. Ryland, and Hamilton R. Gamble. Each of these three men would one day sit on the Missouri Supreme Court and make decisions that would reach far beyond the boundaries of the state. 2. Back to “Winny” … Missouri was admitted as a slave state in 1821. In 1824, George Tompkins was appointed to Missouri’s Supreme Court. Slavery was a major issue in those days and many cases came before the state’s Highest Court, including “Winny” v. Whiteside’s. Mrs. Whiteside, now a widow, and “Winnie’s sole owner, chose to appeal the lower court’s decision and took her case to the Missouri Supreme Court. Three judges sat on the Supreme Court at that time and they were Mathias McGirk, George Tompkins, and Rufus Pettibone. In a 2-1 decision, the state’s Supreme Court upheld the decision of the lower court and it was this decision that set the precedent “once free, always free.” Justice Tompkins wrote in his majority opinion, “We are clearly of the opinion that if, by a residence in Illinois, the plaintiff (Mrs. Whiteside’s) lost her right to the property in the defendant, (Winny), and that right was not revived by a removal of the parties to Missouri.” (McGirk concurred and Pettibone voted in the minority) Source: Elizabeth Davis, "Historically Yours " BOONVILLE’S EARLIEST CONNECTION TO THE CIVIL WAR Boonville, central Missouri’s oldest city, is more than a small city in the middle of Missouri. It is home to a great deal of our state’s historic past. Following the Louisiana Purchase, Americans headed west, looking for adventure and new opportunities. Boonville, was settled in 1810 by Hannah Cole and her nine children, along with her brother-in-law’s family. All was peaceful for about two years until the once friendly Sac and Fox Indians roaming the area became hostile, around 1812. Their displeasure with the new settlers was encouraged by the British who pointed out that the Indians were losing their hunting grounds as more settlers arrived. The British encouraged the uprising by suggesting that if the Indians fought against the settlers, and the British won the War of 1812, the British would return the hunting ground to the Indians. (This is the same War of 1812 where the British set fire to the US Capitol in Washington D.C.) For protection, the Coles and the other families moved to the forts north of the river. By 1814, they were back in Boonville. The Cole’s cabin was in a great location and had access to fresh water, so the family built a fort around it. Soon other settlers followed and built their houses in and around the Cole’s fort. Howard County, which covered about one-third of what would become Missouri, was organized January 23, 1816, and Hannah Cole’s fort in Boonville was the site of the first county court in July of that year. Asa Morgan and Charles Lucas platted Boonville in 1817. By 1818, Howard County, south of the Missouri River, had grown sufficiently to allow for the forming of another county. Thus, Cooper County was born, and Boonville became its county seat until a permanent seat could be determined. When Morgan and Lucas gave Boonville 50 acres on which to build a county courthouse, the deal was sealed. Boonville became the permanent county seat of Cooper County. In 1818, Missouri made its first request for statehood. Rather than break the balance of power over the issue of slavery, Congress delayed Missouri statehood for three years. President James Monroe didn’t sign the Act making Missouri the 24th state of the Union until August 10, 1821. Source: Elizabeth Davis, "Historically Yours " SLAVERY RAISES IT’S UGLY HEAD AGAIN Missouri was admitted to the Union as a slave state. And after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on Winny v. Whiteside, the precedent was set: “Once free, always free.” In 1834, another slave, named Rachel, sued for her freedom in Rachel v. Walker. Rachel had been owned by an army officer and, in the course of his military assignments, she had lived in what is now Minnesota and Michigan, both of which were free territories. Back in St. Louis, she was sold to Walker. Rachel sued on the grounds of “once free, always free,” but this time the court ruled differently. It was the court’s opinion that the officer had no choice on where he would live, so Rachel had no grounds to ask for her freedom. Rachel’s attorney immediately appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court. Two years later the original ruling of the lower court was overturned. The Court’s 1836 decision set another precedent: “If an officer of the United States Army takes a slave to a territory where slavery is prohibited, he forfeits his property.” This opinion was penned by Justice Mathias McGirk with George Tompkins concurring. Robert Wash was the minority vote. These are the precedents that were used in at least 300 19th-century freedom suits which were found among St. Louis Circuit Court records in the 1990s. Both precedents were set by Mathias McGirk and former Boonville resident George Tompkins. Ten years after Rachel v. Walker, yet another slave and his family sued for their freedom based on “once free, always free.” This time the case made it all the way to the US Supreme Court. Many books have been written about Dred Scott’s eleven-year battle for freedom and here, too, lie a few threads to Boonville. It started in 1846 after Scott’s failed attempt to buy his and his family’s freedom from Dr. Emerson. Just like Winny, Rachel, and dozens of other slaves since 1824, Scott and his wife filed “freedom suits.” After a series of trials, retrials and other delays, the Scotts finally won their freedom in January 1850. Unfortunately, their freedom was short-lived because Mrs. Emerson, the doctor’s widow, appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court and none of the previous judges were still on the bench. They had all been replaced by William Napton, James H. Birch, and John F. Ryland. Ryland was the second lawyer from Boonville to reach the Missouri Supreme Court. Napton and Birch were strong pro-slavery advocates and Ryland, whose feelings weren’t as strong, still leaned toward slavery. The case was scheduled to be heard in March 1850, but due to an overloaded docket, the case was postponed until October. According to one historian, the justices had made a decision and it was unanimous, but their opinion was never written. Napton was supposed to have written it, but he postponed it because he was waiting for a particular legal book to arrive from the capital. Before he received it, however, the law changed. Beginning August 1851, judges on the Missouri Supreme Court had to be elected by the people. Birch and Napton were not elected to stay on the court, but Ryland was. The two new members of the Court were William Scott and Hamilton Gamble. Gamble was Boonville’s third lawyer to attain a seat on the Missouri Supreme Court. Missouri entered the Union as a slave state in 1821, but the Missouri Supreme Court ruled “once free, always free” in the case of Winny v. Whiteside in 1824. Ten years later the state’s Supreme Court extended that precedent to include military personnel. 3. When finally, the Dred Scott case came before the Missouri Supreme Court, the players and the rules had changed. On March 22, 1852, in another 2-1 decision, William Scott and John Ryland struck down 28 years of Missouri precedents when they overturned Dred Scott’s victory. William Scott wrote, “Times now are not as they were, when the former decisions of this subject were made.” One historian of the day remarked, “He might just as well have said their decision was strictly political.” Hamilton Gamble wrote in his dissent: “Times may have changed, public feelings may have changed, but principles have not and do not change, and in my judgement, there can be no safe basis for judicial decisions, but in those principles which are immutable.” The Scotts were remanded to slavery, Mrs. Emerson remarried and moved to Massachusetts, and ownership of the Scott family was transferred to Mrs. Emerson’s brother John F. A. Sanford of New York. Dred Scott appealed his case to the US Supreme Court in 1854. It was heard in 1856, but the decision wasn’t handed down until March 6, 1856, two days after President James Buchanan was sworn into office. Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote for the 7-2 majority. To paraphrase Taney’s two-hour reading of the decision: “African Americans are not, and can never be, citizens, therefore, they have no rights to sue for their freedom. And Congress has no power to regulate slavery in new territories.” Taney, in an attempt to settle the issue slavery once and for all, had moved the country even closer to war. In 1860, 22 men fought for the Presidential nomination. Edward Bates, Boonville’s first attorney with a connection to the Civil War, lost the Republication nomination to Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was sworn in on March 4, 1861 and named Bates US Attorney General the following day. Hamilton Gamble, who had resigned from Missouri’s Supreme Court in 1855 due to failing health, had moved to Pennsylvania in 1858. After the legally elected state officials were run out of Jefferson City, the Union put Missouri under martial law and asked Gamble to return to Missouri as its Provisional Governor. Source: Elizabeth Davis, "Historically Yours " MISSOURI SLAVES EMANCIPATED August 30, 1861 John C. Fremont, on August 30, 1861, declared martial law in Missouri and emancipated all the slaves in the state. Unfortunately for Fremont, this was done without the knowledge or consent of President Lincoln. John Charles Fremont (1813 - 1890) was born in Savannah, Georgia, on January 21, 1813. He attended Charleston College, taught mathematics, and his legendary trailblazing skills earned him the nickname "Pathfinder." In 1838, he joined the Army Engineers Corps as a 2nd lieutenant. At the beginning of the Civil War, Fremont was promoted to Major General and assigned head of the Department of the West based in St. Louis. Shortly after the battle of Wilson's Creek, in an attempt to gain a political advantage, he began overstepping his authority. On August 30, 1861, he proclaimed martial law in Missouri: active secessionists were arrested, their property confiscated; slaves were emancipated; and newspapers suspected of disloyalty were shut down. When news of Fremont's actions reached Washington, the President was not pleased. Lincoln did not want to link slavery to the war yet, because he feared it would give slave owners in the border states reason to join forces with the Confederacy. He requested Fremont withdraw or modify the proclamation. Fremont flatly refused both suggestions. Instead, he sent his wife, who happened to be the daughter of former Senate leader Thomas Hart Benton, to Washington to talk to Lincoln. Fremont's blatant refusal, along with the arrival of his wife, angered the President, and Lincoln felt he had no other choice. On September 11, 1861, Lincoln revoked the proclamation as unauthorized and premature; on November 2, 1861, Fremont was also relieved of command. FREEDOM: At the end of the war, the Constitution still did not give the President the authority to abolish slavery. Even the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863 was not effective because it was ignored by the Confederacy and the slaves were not made aware of the change in their status. But Missouri did not offer empty promises. They held a special convention on January 11, 1865 that called for the immediate emancipation of “all enslaved persons in Missouri”. The United States did not ratify the 13th Amendment, officially freeing the enslaved, until December 6, 1865. Missouri can be proud of the fact that it was the first and only state to abolish slavery before it was passed by federal law. Source: Adapted from "Historically Yours " by Elizabeth Davis REMEMBERING OUR HERITAGE It has been more than one-hundred-fifty years since the beginning of the American Civil War. While neither side was wholly right, both fought and died for what they believed in. Some Americans think we should just forget about that war altogether and move on. Others feel we should remember it, study it, and learn from it. Which side is which, you ask? Is it the North who wants to remember, or the South? Unless you answered “Both,” you would be wrong. Two such groups are the Daughters of Union Veterans and the United Daughters of the Confederacy. These groups work hard to remember the past and the part their ancestors played in fighting for their beliefs. While both are national organizations, they each have smaller local groups. It has been asked, “What’s in a name?” For the DUV and the UDC , names are important reminders of the past. The Daughters of Union Veterans have five local groups, called Tents, in the state of Missouri. They are: Julia Grant in St. Louis, Charlotte Harrison Boone in Kahoka, Ann Hawkins Gentry in Columbia, Mary Whitney Phelps in Springfield, and Josephine Garlock Morrow in Macon. The United Daughters of the Confederacy have twelve local Chapters across the state. They are: Boonville; Robert E. Lee 1567 Branson; Ozarks 2723 Campbell; John L. Patterson 2682 Columbia; John S. Marmaduke 713 Higginsville; Confederate Home 203 Independence; Independence 710 Jefferson City; Winnie Davis 628 Kansas City; Stonewall Jackson 639 Lexington; Sterling Price 2049 Marshall; Marshall R. E. Lee 552 St. Louis; Matthew Fontaine Maury 1768 Springfield; Springfield 625 These two groups represent hundreds of women across the state who are descendants of veterans from each side of the war, that are actively preserving, remembering, and passing on the history of this great nation. Adapted from "Historically Yours " by Elizabeth Davis. There are several Civil War markers in Cooper County. See the What to See in Cooper County for information.

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. Photos from Wayne Lammers Collection First Boonville Train Depot Notice the steep incline Close Up of First Boonville Train Depot First Depot 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. First Boonville Depot Second and Current Boonville Depot Lamine Train Depot Pleasant Green Depot Pleasant Green Depot

EARLY BUSINESSES Lone Rider on muddy Main Street Hill looking north. Circa 1870's Downtown Boonville in the 1930's Boonville Female Seminary 1870's by James Macurdy. Corner of Sixth and Locust St. A fire destroyed most of the building but it still stands today. You can find the story about this in Wayne's book. From the Wayne Lammers collection Main and Chestnut streets circa 1880's, looking north Harvesting Ice on the Missouri River. Photo by Max Schmidt. Circa 1900's Hotel Frederick, Main St. circa 1930 Ferd E. Arn seen behind the boy with the striped shirt in front of his Sporting Goods Store on Main St. circa 1890's. The pelican was killed by someone off the Missouri River here at Boonville. Photo by SHSMO This is inside the Ferd Arn Sporting Store where Maggie's Bar & Grill is today. Ferd is the man on the right in center in black Ferd E. Arn sold the first car in Boonville. From the Wayne Lammers collection Man biking on Main and Morgan Streets. circa 1890's. Ferd E. Arn also sold bikes in Boonville. Photo by SHSMO Gmelich Schmidt Jewelry Store Group circa 1890's. Maximilian Schmidt 2nd from left Inside Holt's cafe circa 1930/40 From the Wayne Lammers collection Garthoffner Cigar Store located where Knights of Pythias Building is today. Notice the Indian Cigarman behind the third and forth men on the right. circa 1880's. Photo by SHSMO Crowd at Zuzaks Wonder Store circa 1920. From the Wayne Lammers collection Morgan and Main Street southwest. The Senate Saloon on the corner with the James Macurdy. Photography Studio to the right. Circa 1880's. 1867 From the Wayne Lammers collection Inside Craig's Dairy on Main Street. Circa 1930/40's A.M. Koontz at 217 Main St . had a shipment of 333 wooden boxes, circa mid 1880's, of Chase & Sanborn Coffee & Tea from Boston Mass delivered via steamboat here to Boonville. This location is where Ann Harman and The Celestial Body is located today. From the Wayne Lammers collection Chief Red Fox stayed at Pete's Cafe for years telling about his life. He was a nephew of Chief Crazy Horse, the famous Sioux who fought General Custer at the Little BigHorn. Pete's Cafe has served the Boonslick area since 1920 The story of Chief Red Fox This is a broken glass plate negative taken by Max Schmidt in front of his jewelry store Gmilick & Schmidt on Main, looking toward Morgan St. Circa 1890s From the Wayne Lammers collection Beautiful home built by riverboat Captain John Porter at 312 Center Street . Circa 1890's Painting owned by the Dick Blanck Family Pottery in Boonville. Dick Blanck collection. This 9 inch jug was built by The Vollrath or Blanck Pottery Co. on Locust Street. My friend Sam Jewett dug it out of a ditch where broken pieces were discarded. The back side had a chip broken off. I repaired it and love it in my collection. Photo by Wayne Lammers Oct. 23, 2022. Walz Family Serves Boonville Grocery Store and Jewelry Born in Germany on July 29, 1838, Nicholas Waltz immigrated to the US with his family in 1846. They settled in Chicago, Illinois, where Nicholas finished growing up and received the rest of his education. When Nicholas was 19, he followed his father to Boonville where he worked as a clerk in his brother-in-law’s store. Three years later, Nicholas bought the business that he ran so well until his retirement in 1884. Nicholas grew his store to be the largest grocery store in Central Missouri and, for a number of years, could boast the largest volume of business in this part of the state. Nicholas Walz didn’t confine his interests to his business. He also devoted a good deal of his time to his community and his family. Walz served three terms on the Boonville City Council. Nicholas Walz and Julia Brenneisen, who was also born in Germany, were joined in Holy Matrimony in 1845 and the union was blessed with five sons and three daughters: Leopold C., John E., Herman G., Louise, Charles A., Julia, Laura, and Henry G. John Walz was born on November 3, 1864. He received his education in Boonville and then, in 1880, began learning the trade of watchmaker and jeweler from the firm of Hannacke and Kauffman. After four years, Walz joined the firm of Gmelich and Huber where he continued to learn the business for another ten years. In 1894, two years after his father died, Walz established his own jewelry business. A younger brother, Charles A., became his assistant. Like his father, John Walz was active in community affairs. He served as director of the Boonville Commercial Club. John was also responsible for Boonville’s “White Way” project. The plan was to light Main Street in downtown Boonville. He originated the plan, promoted it, solicited contributions, secured sufficient funds to place eight standards, and persuaded the Sombart family, who owned the electric company, to donate the power. Later, when the company was sold, he got the new owners to extend the contract for free power. For all his work on this project, Walz became known as the “Father of the White Way.” He was so well thought of that the Republican Party twice asked him to run for Mayor. Both times Walz declined saying he had no desire or preference for political honors. David Andrews, another community leader When David Andrews arrived in Old Franklin and Boonville, he was 19 and so poor he had only the shirt on his back which he washed in the Missouri River. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on May 2, 1809, and would work hard using his financial and management gifts to eventually become one of the wealthiest men of Boonville. Andrews started out in Boonville as a tanner. Once established he went back to St. Louis for Margaret Baird whom he married. Life wasn't easy for Andrews. Twice he lost his shop by fire, but each time he rebuilt and his business continued to grow. In 1839 Boonville was incorporated into a city by the state of Missouri and Andrews was elected one of Boonville's first city councilmen. The other six were William Shields, J. L. Collins, Jacob Wyan, Charles Smith, J. S. McFarland, and J. H. Malone. Marcus Williams, Jr. was elected the first mayor and J. Rice the president of the board. Andrews didn't fair too well during the Civil War. Making canteens for Southern soldiers caused him a great deal of grief with the Union. He was attacked, beaten, and left for dead. Only by the hand of his loving wife was he found and nursed back to health. Andrews was then arrested and imprisoned in Jefferson City where General Lyons wanted him shot as a rebel sympathizer. Mrs. Andrews went to the capital determined to get him freed and did manage to secure his release. After the war, Andrews opened the first hardware store in Boonville and grew his assets to $300,000. He also took an active role in local government for a number of years by serving on the city council and becoming mayor. David Andrews died in Boonville on April 30, 1893, and is buried at Walnut Grove cemetery.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION The Depression Hard on Farmers and People in Small Towns Another cause of Cooper County’s population change was the Depression of 1930-1939 . Jobs and farms were lost as a result of business failures, lack of income due to loss of crops and/or jobs, and many farmers lost their farms due to bad loans or inability to pay their mortgage. Small farms were sold, some at bargain prices, and purchased and consolidated by wealthy land owners. Hard times were felt all over the entire country. Plus, the Depression caused populations to dramatically decrease in the more rural areas as people used their trucks and cars to move to towns that were larger, still had trains, and/or offered more job opportunities or better pay. St. Louis Soup Kitchen, 1939. Charles Trefts Photographs (P0034) State Historical Society of Missouri. (1929) The stock market crash led to the Great Depression of the 1930s “The Great Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as “Black Thursday,” started in the late Fall of 1929 when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange collapsed. The crash caused an economic downfall throughout the state as Missouri businesses struggled to survive. About 300 Kansas City industrial companies closed by 1933 and other cities and towns across Missouri would suffer from the fallout of the crash. The fallen markets, alone, did not cause the Great Depression. Only 16 percent of Americans were in the market. However, it caused widespread panic that worsened an ongoing recession, it lowered consumer spending, and contributed to the banking crisis”. The “Great Depression” was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world. It started after the stock market crash in October 1929 when over one million investors were wiped out. Farmers also suffered during the Depression from drought, insect swarms and lower farm prices. Many family farms were lost to creditors during this time. The problems with locusts, hail storms, tornadoes, drought and floods also caused a population change, especially in the farming communities. It is sad to see towns that were once vibrant, just slowly disappear. The census reports, earlier in this section, will help to fill in some of the details. Courtesy of: Missouri Bicentennial Timeline This is a good concise explanation of the Depression: Wikipedia Another explanation from The Balance: Great Depression Timeline After the Depression One of the greatest improvements for the rural people in Clifton City was made when farm to market roads were established. The farm to market road, was built 1934 and 1935. There are now two paved roads going through Clifton City, Highway BB coming in from the South to connect with Highway 135 and 135 is connected to 50 Hwy. The coming of cars and trucks hurt the railroad shipments, since now farmers could now take their produce and cattle to market with their own trucks. So this was the beginning of a slow death to the small town that was at one time a very busy town due to the train coming to and from with two passenger trains one ran west in the morning and one ran east around 11:00 P.M. Florence Owens Thompson in 1936 with two of her nine children during the depression. She worked in the fields in California as a migrant farm hand to support her family. Photo by Dorothea Lange

FRIENDS OF HISTORIC BOONVILLE Contact Information Located in the Old County Jail 614 E Morgan St. Boonville, MO 65233 Hours of Operation: Weekdays 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Phone: (660) 882-7977 Website: friendsofhistoricboonvillemo.org The mission of the Friends of Historic Boonville is to plan, promote, expand, and celebrate the cultural life of Boonville, MO through the arts, history, and historic preservation for the betterment of the community. The Friends’ organization was established in 1971 by a small group of local citizens dedicated to restoring the Old Cooper County Hanging Barn which hosted the last public hanging in the state of Missouri. Since 1971 our organization has steady grown and today, we have over 350 members from all over the country. In addition to preserving three historic properties – Old Cooper County Jail & Hanging Barn (view more ); Thespian Hall (view more ); and Hain House & Memorial Gardens (view more ); we serve as the community arts organization for Boonville (view Events/Festivals); and maintain an extensive archives library of local items significant to our history. The operations of our organization are largely supported by annual membership dues, grant funding from Missouri Arts Council and City of Boonville, private donations and sponsorship’s from local businesses. The Board of Directors is comprised of individuals in the community who are interested in preserving our local history. The Friends of Historic Boonville has only one staff person, who at times must attend off-site meetings during business hours. For that reason, if you are traveling to Boonville for a tour, we suggest you contact us in advance and let us know the date and time. We will insure that someone is available to give your tour. Collections below are available at Friends of Historic Boonville Collection #1—Directories—includes telephone directories for Boonville and other Cooper County towns, 1869-2018. Highlights are: Boonville City Directory, 1869/1870 Boonville City Directory, 1876/1877 Maloney’s Cooper County Directory, 1912/1913 Farmers and Merchants Hand Book of Cooper County, 1916 Collection #3—Small Collections—Collections only one or two folders in size: Folder #36 Cooper County Extension Homemakers, 1988-1991 Enrollment forms, County Council records Folder #54, Cooper County, Plat Book, 1897, 2000 Folder #93, Cooper County Area Retired Teacher Association, Papers, 1995-2011 Handbooks which include directory of members and dates of meetings, and minutes, 1997-2003 Folder #120, Cooper County Public Schools, 1914 Names of district clerks, presidents of boards, and teachers, with salaries paid Folder #125, Cooper County Sunday School Association, Papers, 1918 Sixth annual convention program Folder #142, American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Cooper County, Map, 1970's Historic sites map of Cooper County Folder #228, Cooper County Bicentennial Commission, 1976 Bicentennial Pageant program, written by Uncas McGuire, directed by Dennis Smith (3 copies); and schedule of summer celebrations Folder #250, Cooper County, Superintendent of Schools, 1945 County School Directory, includes school districts on map, rosters of teachers, school district statistics, Folder #379, Cooper County, Plat book, 1960's Folder #434, Cooper County Record, Ledger, 1955-1964 Expenses of the paper Folder #442, Guide to Boonville and Cooper County, 2011 Published by the Boonville Publishing Company, Boonville Daily News, includes local information and local advertisements Folder #465, Cooper County Court House, Cornerstone Centenary, 2012 Program for the ceremony and two cups used at the ice cream social after the ceremony. Folder #469, Cooper County Court House, 1912 Copies of articles from Boonville papers concerning the building of the court house (used for presentation during centenary of court house Folder #478, Cooper County Law Enforcement and Communications Center, 1999 Dedication ceremony program (2 copies) Folder #492, Cooper County Farm Directory, 1928 Alphabetical listing of farmers by township and advertisements Folder #493, Cooper County, Plat Book, 1925 Folder #529, Cooper County Public Schools, 1910's-1959 Cooper County School Directory, 1943/1944; Sixth, Seventh and Fourteenth Annual Report of the County Schools, 1958, 1959 and 1967; and miscellaneous clippings about consolidation in 1949 and lists of graduates from county schools in the 1910's. Folder #565, Cooper County Jail, 1970's News clippings about the need to close the old jail and build a new one. Folder #593, Cooper County Court House, 1930's Hand drawn plan of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of the building Folder #599, Cooper County Counseling Center, 2004 Brief history of the center presented to the Cooper County Human Services Council by Timothy Von Engeln Folder #604, Cooper County Missouri Plat Book, 1987 Folder #605, Cooper County Missouri Plat Book, 1991 Folder #606, Cooper County Missouri Plat Book, 1978 Folder #626, Cooper County Historical Society, 1993 Cooper County Church Sketches by Florence Chesnutt Folder #662, Cooper County Historical Society, 2007 Old Pleasant Green "Underground" list of burials at the cemetery Folder #663, Cooper County, 1995, 2017 Financial statement--included in the Boonville Daily News Collection #5—Illustrated Atlas Map of Cooper County, 1877—more easily accessed through the State Historical Society of Missouri website Collection #6—Illustrated Atlas Map of cooper County, 1897—more easily accessed through the State Historical Society of Missouri website Collection #7—Standard Atlas of Cooper county, 1915—more easily accessed through the State Historic Society of Missouri website Collection #9—Photographs—donated over the years from many donors Image #59 Groundbreaking, possibly at Cooper County Memorial Hospital, 1960's Image #83 Soldiers and band standing in front of Cooper County Court House, 1920's Image #347 Cooper County Memorial Hospital--dedication, 1971 Image #348 Cooper County Memorial Hospital--dedication, 1972 Image #468 Daughters of the American Revolution standing on the Cooper County Court house steps, 1921 Image #472 Missouri Drummer's Association with band standing in front of Cooper County Court house, 1917 Image #502 Cooper County Memorial Hospital, 1973 Image #794 Cooper County Home, 1960's Image #802 Drawing of Cooper County jail, n.d. Image #803 Cooper County jail, man standing by screen door, sign to right of door "Visitors, Hours 2-4, Wednesday Only", 1940's Image #804 Cooper County jail, after closed, 1970's Image #1328 Arthur Bradley, Sheriff of Cooper County, and Daniel Walters, deputy standing in front of entrance to sheriff's house, 1936 Image #1412 Full view of Daniel Walters on front porch of Cooper County Jail, 1936 Image #1889 and #2099 Statue of Liberty in front of Cooper County Court House, 1984 Image #1944 Putnam Family of Cooper County standing outside of their house, 1917ca Image #2092 Cooper County Court House, 1980's Image #2093 Cooper County Court House, 1963 Image #2094, #2095, #2096 #2097 Cooper County Court House, 1980's Image #2100 Cooper County Court House, 1980's Collection #20—Cooper County Agricultural Extension Records, 1930's-1980's--Annual reports, 4-H membership records, and other miscellaneous records Collection #25—Brochures—Many from the Boonville Chamber of Commerce, primarily to promote the area and businesses Item #8, Cooper County Memorial Hospital, Skilled Nursing Facility, An Extension of Care, n.d.; produced by Cooper County Memorial Hospital Item #9, We keep your heart in tune, Cooper County Hospital Cardiac Rehab, 1990's Produced by Cooper County Memorial Hospital Item #14, Tour of Homes, Historic Cooper County, Missouri, n.d. Produced by unknown Item #36, Cooper County, Missouri, Community Shelter Plan, 1968 Produced by Cooper County Civil Defense Agency Item #57, City of Boonville and Cooper County Map, 1985 Produced by Chamber of Commerce Item #74, City of Boonville and Cooper County Map, 1995 Produced by Chamber of Commerce Item #83, Cooper County, Missouri, A Gas Tank Tour of Living History, n.d. Produced by Chamber of Commerce, Cooper County Hist. Soc. Item #84, City of Boonville and Cooper County Map, 2001 Produced by Chamber of Commerce Item #100, Cooper County, Missouri, Living History Tour, 1994 Produced by Cooper County Historical Society Item #108, Cooper County Memorial Hospital, what you're looking for, 1980ca Item #109, Cooper County Memorial Hospital, 1970's Produced by Cooper County Memorial Hospital Item #110, Dedication of Cooper County Memorial Hospital, 1973 Produced by Cooper County Memorial Hospital Item #134, 2014 Guide to Boonville and Cooper County, 2014 Produced by Boonville Daily News Collection #34—Cooper County Marriages Records, 1870-1912--Marriage licenses giving bride and groom names, date of marriage, location of wedding—these were the records that were used to enter the information into the official records of the county Collection # 38—Mt. Sinai School Records, 1904-1964—board minutes, enumerations, and attendance records. Also includes a scrapbook of the PTA Collection #55—Cooper County Historic Buildings Survey, 1970's-1980's—a survey undertaken by the Friends of Historic Boonville, includes photographs of the buildings, mostly houses Collection #63—Bluffton School Scrapbooks, 1930's--One scrapbook showing 1939 Homecoming, including pictures of former students, local farms; the other a social studies project Collection #75—Cooper County Records, 1818-1959—primarily volumes from various county offices including the assessor’s office, 1842-1867; circuit court, 1841-1948; county court minute books and other records, 1822-1935; justice of the peace dockets and other records, 1818-1942; probate court, 1821-1959 Collection #97—Maps and Plans, 1874-2000—maps of Cooper County Collection #98—Newspapers, 1844-1996—includes Cooper County Record, 1939-1987—more easily accessed through the State Historical Society of Missouri newspaper library Collection #104—Cooper County Bicentennial Commission Papers, 1970's--commission that planned activities for the Bicentenary in the county