EARLY MEDICINE HOSPITALS St. Joseph Hospital building 1908. From the Wayne Lammers collection The Alex van Ravenswaay Hospital The St. Joseph Hospital in Boonville was dedicated on September 4, 1918, thanks in part to Dr. C. H. van Ravenswaay. But this was not the only van Ravenswaay who chose to call Boonville home. Alexander van Ravenswaay was born at the Hague August 26, 1889. After graduating in medicine and surgery, Alex served as a doctor in the Dutch Army from 1914-18. Then the Allies commissioned him as a surgeon to take charge of the repatriation of French and Russian prisoners of war from Germany to their respective countries. In 1919, Alex made his third trip to the United States and set up his medical practice in Boonville. On April 15, 1926, Dr. Alexander van Ravenswaay made Miss Bernice Brummel his bride and the union was blessed with two sons. Theodore was born on July 29, 1927, and Lyle Alexander was born on July 12, 1930. Like his brother, Dr. Alex (as he was known) became a much loved and vital contributor to the community. He was a member of the American Medical Association, the Southwestern Medical Association, the American Society for the Control of Cancer, the Missouri Medical Association, the Cooper County Medical Society, the Boonville Kiwanis Club, the Knights of Pythias, the Boonville Country Club and the Boonville Chamber of Commerce. He served as president of the Cooper County Medical Society in 1933 and as chief surgeon at St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1934. Dr. Alex moved his clinic into his own building at 510 E. Spring Street on February 18, 1937. Formerly the Gross Hotel, the remodeled and modernized Alex van Ravenswaay Hospital was located in what is now the Post Office parking lot. Source: "Historically Yours" by Elizabeth Davis DOCTORS Dr. John Sappington, 1776-1856 Two births of importance took place in 1776. One was the birth of our nation on July 4. The other took place six weeks earlier on May 15. John Sappington was the third of seven children born to Mark Brown Sappington and his wife Rebecca. Mark Sappington served during the American Revolution and, after the war, returned to the University of Pennsylvania to study medicine under Dr. Benjamin Rush and other notable doctors of the day. He did not, however, agree with the practice of blood-letting. In 1785, the family moved out west to Nashville, Tennessee. Nine-year-old John finished his basic education while learning to do farm chores, but there were no places of higher education available. But that didn't stop him from learning. He read medicine with his father. It appeared that Dr. Mark Sappington had a good medical library and his son John made good use of it. In 1814-15, John rode 700 miles to Philadelphia to attended a five-month medical course at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Dr. John Sappington married Jane Breathitt on November 22, 1804, and the family settled in Franklin, Tennessee. The union was blessed with nine children—seven born in Tennessee and the last two in Missouri. (Three of their daughters would all marry Claiborne F. Jackson who would be governor of Missouri during the Civil War.) Malaria was a killer, and Missouri and the Santa Fe Trail were high risk areas. This was one of the reasons Dr. Sappington left Tennessee in 1817. He knew his services would be greatly needed. He first settled in Glasgow, then moved about five miles southwest of the Arrow Rock ferry. Like his father, Dr. John Sappington didn't believe in blood-letting. He used cinchona. (quinine) By the time Missouri achieved statehood, Dr. Sappington was well-known for “doctoring with the bark.” In 1820 a method of isolating quinine from cinchona bark was found and by 1823 quinine was being manufactured in Philadelphia. But even with all the evidence of its effectiveness, many doctors denied its worth and continued treating malaria with blood-letting. The wholesale manufacture of Dr. John Sappington's Anti-Fever Pills began in 1832. While quinine wasn't mentioned, few people were unaware of the pills' main medicine. Even so, it would be decades before the medical world would accept quinine as the first “wonder drug.” Dr. John Sappington died at his home in September, 1856 and is buried in the Sappington Cemetery. Cornelius Herman van Ravenswaay You don't have to be born in Boonville to claim it as home, nor do you need to be born in the United States. Cornelius Herman van Ravenswaay was born in Borneo on September 4 in 1870 or '71. He attended boarding school and high school in Holland then studied medicine at the University of Utrecht. Additional training was obtained at a charity hospital in Berlin and later in Paris. His original plans were to go to India as a surgeon. Instead, he came to America where he partnered with his uncle, Dr. Samuel van Hoefen, in St. Louis, Mo. Then he heard of an opportunity in Boonville. Tall brick houses built close to the sidewalks reminded him of the Old World he'd left behind so he decided to move his practice. Successful and prosperous, he longed to do more community service work. With this in mind, he soon started a little hospital on Third Street at the Jones home but it was small and too expensive to maintain. In May 1905, Dr. van Ravenswaay discovered that one of his patients had greatly benefitted from the nursing care of Sister Mary Boniface Kuhn of Pilot Grove. The doctor then sent one of his assistants to confer with the Benedictine Sisters and the church authorities granted them permission to establish a sanitarium in Boonville. The St. Joseph Sanitarium opened at the southeast corner of Sixth and Locust where the Megquier Seminary had been on June 12, 1905. Dr. van Ravenswaay donated $100, assumed responsibility for the rent, and supplied most of the operating room supplies and furnishings. Other necessities were supplied by the sisters, thanks to many local merchants who sold to them on credit. Land for a larger, permanent hospital was purchased for $2,200 by the sisters in 1911. Unfortunately, funds were not yet available to build a new facility. By 1917, the Sanitarium was filled beyond capacity and fundraising began in earnest by the sisters, doctors, and other community-minded individuals. Dr. C. H. van Ravenswaay, however, was not among them. He had closed his practice and enlisted to serve his newly adopted country during the World War. While he was gone, the new $49,000 St. Joseph's Hospital was built, and the dedication has taken place on September 4, 1918. The hospital's executive board at that time consisted of Roy D. Williams, president; along with A. G. Blakey, Dr. Jacobs, Thomas Hogan, Frank Sauter and Albert H. Myer. Upon his return, Dr. C. H. van Ravenswaay continued serving the people of Boonville as chief of staff at St. Joseph Hospital. He also gave $3,000 to the highway bridge fund, helped organize the Rotary Club, and developed the van Ravenswaay Clinic which occupied 18 rooms in the Victor Building at the northwest corner of Main and Spring streets. Additionally, he served more than once as president of the Cooper County Medical Society and was a member of the Missouri and American medical associations. The doctor was a Mason, a Chamber of Commerce member, and a member of the Evangelical Church. Dr. Henry Clay Gibson Henry Clay Gibson was born on August 25, 1825, on the Gibson homestead which later became the Missouri Training School and is now a Missouri State Minimum Security Prison. He was the son of William Gibson and his first wife Rhoda Cole. William was from North Carolina and Rhoda was a daughter of Stephen Cole who was the first white settler in what is now Cooper County. Gibson received his education at Kemper School in Boonville before going to Transylvania Medical College in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1846-47. Continuing his medical studies, he attended the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Upon graduation he returned to Boonville to practice medicine. Devoted to science and his practice, and wishing to keep up with the latest advancement in his profession, Gibson returned to the University of Pennsylvania for a post graduate course. He became known far and wide as the most able physician in the county. Gibson married Miss Mittie Nelson, sister of James M. Nelson, on January 11, 1856, but Mittie died in 1857. Fourteen years later he married Mrs. Mary L. (Jones) McCarthy on January 11, 1871. The new Mrs. Gibson was born in November 1840, in Bolivar, Missouri. Her parents were Caleb and Nancy (Chapman) Jones from Old Franklin. Her siblings were Sarah Adlea Jones, who married William D. Muir, and George C. Jones. Mary McCarthy Gibson was the widow of Confederate foreign diplomat Justin McCarthy of San Antonio, Texas. The couple had been married in 1860 and had one son named William. McCarthy had died shortly after the war in 1865. Dr. and Mrs. Gibson were blessed with three children who survived to adulthood: Mary J.; Martha, who married A. K. Mills; and Nancy, who married Joseph O’Meara. The couple’s fourth child, Rhoda Cole Gibson, died in infancy. Dr. Gibson, before his death, had the distinction of been the oldest practicing physician in this part of Missouri. He died December 14, 1887, and is buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery. Mary Gibson died on October 12, 1921, and she, too, was laid to rest in Walnut Grove. Dr. Horace Dasher (H. D.) Quigg Horace Dasher (H. D.) Quigg was born in Hickory County Missouri on March 5, 1863, son of John Wesley “Wes” Quigg and his second wife Lucretia Ann Bradley Quigg. J. W. Quigg was born December 29, 1820, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and came to Missouri in 1830. He settled in Hickory County where he farmed and served as Sheriff and Collector from 1863-1869. H. D. Quigg was raised in Hickory County and attended the district school before going off to Southwest Baptist College in Poke County. He then went to the Cincinnati Medical College and graduated in 1890. Quigg opened his practice in Hickory County but moved to Blackwater that same year. From 1910-1914, Quigg served by appointment as superintendent of the Missouri Hospital for the Feeble Minded and Epileptics at Marshall. Shortly after that, he went to Chicago where he studied to become a specialist in eye, ear, nose, and throat care. He returned to Boonville and established his office as general practice and a specialist. Also, like his father, Dr. Quigg served the people of Cooper County. For two years he was county coroner. In 1902 he was elected as Cooper County’s representative in the Missouri Legislature, and re-elected in 1904. Quigg served on the Ways and Means Committee and was chairman of the Committee on Health and Scientific Institutes. It was he who introduced a bill empowering the city of Boonville to build High Street. Dr. Horace Dasher Quigg died on April 6, 1941 and is buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery. His wife survived him until 1976. Source: Elizabeth Davis, "Historically Yours" EARLY DENTISTRY Dental medicine was in its infancy in the mid-19th century. There were few formal schools, and new dentist learned by working under practicing dentists. By 1870, St. Louis was the fourth most populous city in the US. In 1866, the Missouri Dental College was only the sixth dental school opened in the US, and the fist dental school established west of the Mississippi. A few of the early graduates of this school established practices in Cooper County. Dr. Milton McCoy, born in 1824, was one of the earliest graduates of Missouri Dental College. He relocated to Boonville in 1867 and practiced for 20 years. Milton's son, John C. McCoy, graduated from Missouri Dental College in 1875. He joined his father's practice in Boonville and practiced well into the 20th century. Other dental trailblazers for Cooper County were Franklin Swap and Roy H. Ellis. Franklin Swap, born August 1830, studied dentistry in Iowa before relocating to Boonville. He opened his clinic in 1866. Roy H. Ellis was born August 1878 in Cooper County. Roy graduated from Missouri Dental College in 1898 and returned to Cooper County. He Practiced in Prairie Home and Boonville for 23 years.

EARLY WARS Cooper County men have volunteered for service in many wars; however, only two have taken place on Cooper County soil: The War of 1812 and the Civil War. Both left both sad and bitter memories with relatives of those wounded or killed in battle. Missourians were involved in three brief wars between 1837 and 1847 . These were: The Seminole War in Florida in 1837 , the Mormon War in 1838-39 , and the Mexican War in 1846-48 . Many Cooper Countians volunteered for service in these wars. The War of 1812 in the Boonslick By Michael Dickey Many people associate the War of 1812 with the burning of the white House in 1812 by the British. But a lesser-known related War of 1812 also involved the early settlers in Missouri and various tribes of Indians. On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain. The War of 1812 is one of the least remembered wars of the United States, and Missouri’s involvement is even less known. Though forgotten, the war had significant consequences for the nation’s history. On August 24, 1814 British troops occupied Washington DC burning the White House, the capitol building and several government buildings. Francis Scott Key wrote the National Anthem following the unsuccessful British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor on Sept. 13-14, 1814. The British encouraged the Indians to fight on their side, promising the Indians that they would help them retain their land that was quickly being settled by Americans. The Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815 resulted in a crushing defeat for British forces. In 1959, it gave us the number one hit song on the Billboard Hot 100, “The Battle of New Orleans” by singer Johnny Horton. General Andrew Jackson defeated the Creek Indian Nation in August of 1814 and gained national notoriety for his victory at New Orleans. His war record propelled him to the presidency in 1828 and set the tone of the nation for decades to come. (1812 ) Forts are Built Hannah Cole, Stephen Cole and their families came to the area of Cooper County that is now Boonville in 1810, nearly two years passed before the War of 1812 broke out. Before this time, the life of the settler was fairly quiet. Nature supplied them with nearly all that they wished to eat or drink. When a place of shelter for his family had been provided, the settler could spend his time hunting and fishing. These were pleasant pastimes for him and they also provided some of the necessities for life. This life of ease and rest was suddenly changed by the beginning of the war. Great Britain declared war in 1812 against the United States. The Indians wanted to keep their land, and joined the war on the side of Great Britain. The settlers immediately began to build forts for their protection. A few months after the first Hannah Cole’s fort was built, a band of about four hundred Indians suddenly made their appearance in the neighborhood. When they came, there were two men by the name of Smith and Savage out hunting. As the hunters were returning, the Indians killed Smith and then scalped him. Savage was able to return to the fort. As the Indians were chasing Savage, they came in full view of the fort. Several of them could have been killed. Some of the people in the fort wanted to kill the Indians; however, Hannah Cole wisely told them not to shoot. The following day some of the settlers captured a French boat, which came up the river loaded with powder and balls to trade with the Indians. The settlers immediately took possession of the twenty-five kegs of powder and five hundred pounds of balls which the boat contained. After the settlers had crossed their families and prisoners to the north shore, in the captured boat, the settlers let the Frenchmen return down the river in their empty boat. The settlers did not want the French to arm the Indians and have the Indians use those weapons against them. As the dominant tribe in Missouri, the Osages had grown increasingly restless as more white settlers were moving West onto their lands. The once friendly American Indians had become belligerent and very dangerous as they did not want to lose their traditional hunting ground. The government was concerned about the safety of the settlers and warned them to move closer to St. Louis for protection. However, the settlers replied to Governor Howard that this area of Missouri was now their home and they were prepared to defend it. When the Declaration of War with England reached St. Louis in July, 1812 there were only 178 soldiers of the regular army in all of the area that would later be named Missouri. Soon after the war broke out, Territorial Governor Benjamin Howard wrote to the settlers in the Boonslick area, urging them to move to the eastern part of Howard County for protection. The settlers defiantly defended their choice to stay on the frontier, and replied to the Governor: “We have maid our hoames here & all we hav is here & it wud ruen us to Leave now.We be all good Americans, not a Tory or one of his Pups among us. & we hav 2 hundred Men and Boys that will Fight to the last and we have 100 Wimen and Girls that will tak there places wh. makes a good force. So we can Defend this Settlement wh. With God’s help we will do.So if wehad a fiew barls of Powder and 2 hundred Lead is all we ask.” It has been said that if it had not been for the lead mining in Cooper County, which provided ammunition for the war, we would have lost the War of 1812. Fort Cooper had been built as a potential center of defense for the Howard county area in case of an Indian uprising. Sarshall Cooper was chosen by 112, including many prominent citizens, as their Captain.He was a natural leader and skilled woodsman, and his knowledge and judgement were trusted by all his men.Cooper’s Fort became the center of the Howard County military community. The settlers who had crossed to the north side of the river returned to their homes in the spring of 1813 , but the Indian troubles continued for another two years. A Heroine of Cooper's Fort The most dangerous time of the war were last six months in 1815 . The settlers were crowded into the forts, had little food to eat, and it was too dangerous to go out of the fort to search for food. The Death of Sarshall Cooper . A sad event of the war was the death of Sarshall Cooper after whom Cooper County was named. One evening, he was sitting at his fireside with his family holding his youngest child on his lap. Other children were playing around the room and his wife was sitting by his side sewing. It is thought that a single Indian warrior crawled up to the fort and made a hole just large enough for the muzzle of his gun to go through the clay between the logs. The noise of his work was drowned by the howling storm. The Indian fired his gun and killed Sarshall instantly. He fell to the floor amidst his horror-stricken family. Sarshall Cooper - small picture of the framed fabric from the vest he was wearing when he was shot. Family heirloom of Joyce Cooper Campbell. A treaty of peace between England and the United States was signed on December 24, 1814. The Indians were advised of the peace treaty; however, they continued to carry on independent warfare, without the help of the British, to try to keep their land. It was not until 1833 that every Indian claim to land titles in the state of Missouri were eliminated. THE WAR OF 1812 IS OVER . Once the War of 1812 was over, and the threat of Indian hostilities gone, the population began to increase quickly. Like most settlers, those who came in the 1820’s to 1830’s, chose to settle close to the Missouri River, but soon started to venture into the heartland of Missouri. Many of the native Americans came from Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas, seeking cheap land. The two countries that contributed greatly to the population increase were Germany and Ireland. In the year 1820, only about 12% of Missouri’s population was foreign born. Below are photos of a flintlock rifle located in the Arrow Rock Museum and two of many musket balls found at the site. Bottom left photo is at the Museum at Arrow Rock with Museum Administrator, Mike Dickey along with my friend Gene Smith. Mike Dickey and Jean Smith viewing long rifle used during War of 1812 Wayne Lammers Collection Flint Lock Rifle used during War of 1812 Wayne Lammers Collection War of 1812 Thoughts It is hard for most of us today to imagine what life was like living in a fort during the the War of 1812 to 1815 . We live in a time of ease when we can heat and cool our homes at a touch of a finger and order anything we desire on line and have it delivered. Try to step back in thought to the period of 1810 to 1815 , when the early Missouri settlers were living in forts for protection from large bands of Indians who wanted their ancient hunting grounds back, and were being encouraged to believe that the English would get it back for them IF the Indians helped to defeat (eliminate) the Americans. Early settlers traveled to central Missouri, at that time Howard County, on the North side of the Missouri River, most likely in covered (Conestoga) wagons. When they arrived, Fort Cooper already contained some single men, a few military and frontiersmen and a few families. Imagine that you are part of a family of two adults and five children. You have brought with you only the most basic cooking utensils, quilts and bedding, tools, guns and ammunition, food for the trip and anything else that you can stuff into the wagon. You probably have no money with you, as there is nothing to buy, but you will probably have some barter items. You settle into a small cabin in the fort, usually just one room. You heat the log cabin and cook your food with heat from the fireplace. It is hot in the summer and probably drafty in the winter. Some of the problems you will encounter: There are many different personalities in a small enclosure. Cooperation and harmony must prevail, especially in times of attack. Everyone must perform the duties assigned to them, even when fear and panic set in. When under attack, which could last for a few days or a week or more, all the animals must be kept inside the fort or they would be killed by the Indians. Feeding the animals for a long period of time, cleaning up after them, and removing their waste is not a pleasant or easy task. Human waste was a problem during times of attack. Other sanitation problems must be considered: how to get clean water for drinking for people and animals, clean water for cooking, cleaning people – especially children, and for cleaning wounds when someone is injured or shot. There would not be a doctor at the fort so someone would hopefully have some knowledge of herbal remedies, and have dried herbs set aside for emergencies, sickness and for tea. Bandages were often made from rags, old clothing and/or fluff from cattails or even milkweed. Forts were usually in the center of a cleared area so enemies could be easily seen. Unfortunately, the pioneers could also be easily seen by the Indians. Large forts, sometimes with 200 or more people, require a lot of food. Wild game normally furnished a majority of their food, but being unable to get out and hunt safely, sometimes meant that the animals inside had to be sacrificed to feed the people. Wild animals were not accustomed to the noise of constant gun fire and would leave the area if frightened, reducing food sources. Nuts, dried tree fruit and berries could be gathered, dried and stored during safe times for emergencies. Some grain crops such as corn, wheat and oats were grown, but during peaceful times the deer, birds and other animals would often feast on the almost ripe grain and the Indians could also set fire to it and it would be destroyed. Sometimes, harvesting the grain could be hazardous if an attack might occur. Corn bread and sourdough bread were probably made, but the choice of what to use for flour could be problematic, although certain types of acorns and nuts could be made edible and used for flour. Even sturdy clothing and shoes tend to wear out. Often men’s and some women’s clothing were made from deer skin, as that was the only material available. If native flax or nettles were available near the river bank, they could be soaked and pounded into workable fiber and eventually be made into a type of cloth. But, without a loom or spinning wheel, it would be hard to make the fibers into cloth. Elderly, or widowed women with small children, also had a hard time doing their share of work without a husband. In many cases there was no official at a fort who was licensed to marry people, but marriages were still performed. Life was a challenge, but those early settlers survived and thrived, and we all owe then a great debt of gratitude for their courage. These hardy pioneers truly were the “salt of the earth.” Barbara Dahl, Editor (1830) The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced the indigenous nations to leave Missouri and resettle in Indian Territory. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced the indigenous people who once inhabited land in Missouri to leave and resettle in Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas). The removal process, however, began long before U.S. President Andrew Jackson signed the 1830 removal act. It was a policy introduced by President Thomas Jefferson and was largely carried out by treaties in Missouri supervised by William Clark as superintendent of Indian affairs. About 30 years before the last removal, the Indigenous Nations in the Missouri Territory at the time of the Louisiana Purchase included Sac and Fox, Ioway, Little Osage and Great Osage, Kickapoo, Shawnee, Delaware and Quapaw. Skirmishes and fighting ensued as the U.S. government expanded westward and other nations would be pushed from the East to Missouri. The military imprisoned the famous War Chief Black Hawk in St. Louis at the end of the Black Hawk War in 1832 . The Trail of Tears, as a result of the 1930 act, forced Eastern indigenous nations to relocate to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). One of the routes traversed the southern part of Missouri, where many lives were lost crossing the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau County during the harsh winters of 1838 and 1839 . An estimated 4,000 Cherokees lost their lives on the Trail of Tears from Tennessee to Oklahoma.” (1839) THE MORMON WAR The Mormon war took place in the year 1838 . When the Mormons came to Missouri in 1831 , they located in Jackson County. The citizens there did not like their customs and became angry at the many crimes they committed because of their religious views. They were soon driven from Jackson County, and they moved to Caldwell County, Missouri. The citizens of Caldwell did not want the Mormons to settle in their town, either. They didn’t have sufficient troops to force them to move, so they asked the governor to send in troops to get rid of the Mormons. Governor Boggs called for 7,000 volunteers. In answer to the call, three companies were formed in Cooper County. One was called the Boonville Guards. The second was a volunteer company raised at Boonville. The third was raised in Palestine township. These companies marched twice towards the Mormon settlement and the place of war. While they were marching, the Mormons surrendered. The companies returned home without having ever met the enemy. Upon their arrival at Boonville, these troops were disbanded. The Mormons, after the end of the war, left the state and went to Nauvoo, Illinois, where they stayed for several years. After having difficulty with the authorities of the state of Illinois, the Mormons left and went to the Great Salt Lake. (1846) THE MEXICAN WAR In May, 1846 , a call was made for one company from Cooper County to join troops already in Mexico. Sixty-one men volunteered. The company was organized and assembled in Boonville, where they were trained in military duty by their Captain, John C. Stephens. They departed May 28, 1846 , on the steamer L. F. Linn, for St. Louis, where they were to be armed and equipped. When they arrived in St. Louis, they were ordered to report to Jefferson City. When they got to Jefferson City, they were told to be in readiness and were then allowed to return home. Even though they never saw any battle, the volunteers were welcomed home by large, cheering crowds. The 1865 Missouri Constitution bans the practice of slavery. Missouri was still very much a divided state over the issue of slavery at the end of the Civil War. Many citizens, including Radical Republicans led by Charles Drake, fiercely opposed the institution of slavery and pushed for a new constitution. Among the amendments were the emancipation of slaves and determining voting privileges for loyal citizens to the Union. The ordinance introduced at the constitution convention in St. Louis to abolish slavery in the state passed overwhelmingly with only four delegates voting against it. Missouri’s document that made slavery unlawful came three weeks before the U.S. Congress proposed the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which banned slavery in the country. The loyalty oath, which also was adopted by the 1865 Missouri Constitution would exclude all but pro-Unionists from public life, including the fields of teaching, law and politics, also went into effect until the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Missouri’s loyalty oath two years later. (1836) 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. Sources: Texas State Historical Association

DISCOVERY OF FORT MCMAHAN MCMAHAN FORT Background - Lamine Township was settled about 1810. The first settlers were David Jones, a Revolutionary War soldier; Thomas, Samuel and James McMahan; Stephen, Samuel and Jesse Turley; and Saunders Townsend. Other families soon followed and joined the settlement. The Jones’ settlement also known as McMahan’s settlement was located about midway between Arrow Rock and the Lamine River. During the War of 1812 two fortifications were built for the protection of the 15 families in the settlement. McMahan’s Fort was described as a “little stockade” and was located on the bluff. McMahan’s Fort was also sometimes referred to as Anderson’s Fort. William Reed built a smaller blockhouse or fortified cabin that was probably in the nearby river bottoms. McMahan’s Fort was burned by Sac & Fox Indians in September of 1814. Reed’s Fort may have suffered the same fate but its location has almost certainly been washed away by the Missouri River. The inhabitants of both forts had fled to the greater safety of Cooper’s Fort just before they were attacked in 1814. [Settlers at McMahan Fort Area: Written by William D. Lay 1998.] At the mouth of the Lamine River is a natural bedrock shoreline that made it easy for docking the flatboats and keel-boats. Workers could toil from the shore line, loading supplies for traveling up and down the river. Among some of these early settlers were the McMahans. The McMahans traveled from their Kentucky homes at the very beginning of organized settlement and became established in what is now the Lamine Township. According to history, these families lived along the south side of the Missouri River just west and north of the Lamine River. Samuel McMahan was attacked by hostile Indians and killed on December 24, 1814. One account says he was driving some cattle, another said he was chopping down a bee tree for honey, yet another family tradition said he was drawing water from a spring. This is an example of the difficulty of relying on reminisces made by old pioneers 40 or 50 years after the event occurred. One of Samuel’s sons, Samuel Woodson McMahan, became one of the largest landholders of Cooper County, owned a tract of 1,000 acres that was worked by many slaves. William McMahan’s Fort Written by William D. Lay 1998 Constructed date - most likely 1812 or after. Location: On the Missouri, 2 miles North of Lamine River where it empties into the Missouri River, Samuel Cole (Son of Hannah Cole) said the fort was located on the south side of the Missouri River some 5 miles south from Cooper’s Fort. Judge Frederick Hyatt said the fort was located 4 miles below Arrow Rock on the south side of the Missouri. William Reed, a son-in-law of McMahan had his blockhouse in the east half of the northeast quarter of section 7 township 49 range 18. The fort was thought to be on the hill immediately to the south. Commonly referred to as the Jones Settlement. (But in later years, no one was sure where the exact location of the fort was). THE ATTACK BY THE INDIANS AS THE SETTLERS WERE ABANDONING THE FORT Written by William D. Lay 1998 A few weeks before the Dodge force [a military unit to help guard these early forts] got to the Boonslick Area, the settlers learned that the Sauks and Miamis were assembling for an attack on the 14 families on the south bank of the Missouri, about two miles above the Lamine River, and about five miles below Cooper’s Fort. There were too many hostile Indians for those settlers, so they left their homes and started to Cooper’s Fort. They had planned to move the families on the first day then go back the next day to pick up their household goods and livestock. They had hardly gotten the last person on their canoes when the Indians crept up and attacked them as they were leaving. The Indians killed Thomas McMahan but the balance with their families escaped. They were still in their canoes when they looked back and saw the smoke curling up from the fires that the Indians had set to the stockade. This fire consumed all their household goods and clothing, and the Indian took all their horses and cattle. This was probably done about July 20th of 1814. Author’s Note: Cooper’s Fort was a much larger and secured fort. It was located about one mile south of where the town of Petersburg is today, in The Howard County River Bottoms. [From History of Cooper County Missouri by W. F. Johnson – 1919] Most of the settlers in the Boonslick Country came from Kentucky and Tennessee where they had earlier experienced conflict with American Indians. The attitude of the settlers towards any Indians whether they were friend or foe ranged from condescension to loathing, fear and outright hatred. The Indians with which our early settlers had to contend were idle, shiftless, vicious and treacherous. In the presence of the white settlers they were apparently frank, accommodating, and kind, yet they nursed the tradition that the white man was their natural enemy, and would eventually dispossess them of their "happy hunting grounds" . Warfare in the Boonslick was not just a matter of wanton “blood lust” by Indians as some have characterized it. It represented a larger clash of cultures that sometimes manifested itself in bloodshed. The Indians for the most part saw white settlers as trespassers on land they possessed for generations, threatening their livelihood and culture. For them, the attacks were acts of self-defense. The famous Sac warrior Black Hawk who led raids into Missouri Territory and the Boonslick expressed in 1833 a view many Indians long held towards Americans; I had not discovered one good trait in the character of the Americans that had come to the country. They made fair promises but never fulfilled them. Whilst the British made but few, but we could always rely on their word…Why did the Great Spirit ever send the whites to this island, to drive us from our homes, and introduce among us poisonous liquors, disease and death? They should have remained upon the island where the Great Spirit first placed them. Casualties in the Boonslick were relatively light during the war. Only about dozen or so whites were killed and possibly a similar number of Indians. Numbers of wounded on both sides may have been the same. Lindsey Carson, the father of famed western scout Kit Carson, had both thumbs shot off in one skirmish with Indians. After the war, John Mason Peck, a Baptist missionary, wrote of the hardship experienced by the Boonslick settlers: “With all their vigilance during the war, about three hundred horses were stolen; many cattle and nearly all their hogs were killed. Bear-meat and raccoon-bacon became a substitute…” Deerskin clothing became the daily attire, as neither cotton nor flax could be grown in any quantity to manufacture cloth. A few days ago, a barge belonging to Messrs. M. Lisa & Co. which was ascending the Missouri to their trading establishment, were induced to stop at Mackay’s Saline, (commonly called Boon’s Lick) as the country was overrun by the Indians and all the inhabitants were in Forts. The crew which arrived here on Saturday night, last…reports that on the south side of the Missouri, the Indians had taken all the horses and were killing the cattle for food; that on their arrival at the Saline, the people of Coles’ fort were interring a man just shot by the Indians. On the north side near Kincaid’s fort a man was killed in a flax field. Missouri Gazette, August 13, 1814 Settlers at McMahan Fort Area: Written by William D. Lay 1998. “Claims for Indian Reparations from McMahan Fort” during June and July 1814, attacks on eleven members of the McMahan Fort: Author’s Note: The following information was prepared by Lyman Copeland Draper’s Notes, Roll 22S March 30, 1815 Act of Congress. (The federal government took these depositions in 1825 - Mike Dickey) Results of the Attack - The McMahan Fort was burned to the ground in the Indian attack. The attacking Indians carried off anything that was of value to them, and destroyed what remained, so that there was nothing left for the former inhabitants to reclaim. INDIAN WAR REPARATIONS [CHAPTER XIII. (William D. Lay] AN ACT TO REGULATE TRADE AND INTERCOURSE WITH THE INDIAN TRIBES. SEC. 14 MEANS OF REDRESS PRESCRIBED FOR TRANSGRESSIONS OF INDIANS AGAINST WHITE SETTLERS. Claims for losses by Indians during the June and July 1814 raids, (or transgressions) were filed by about 11 members of families at and around McMahan Fort, Lamine Township. AUTHOR’S NOTE: IN THE INTEREST OF BREVITY, OF THE 11 FAMILIES THAT HAD DAMAGE, I WILL ONLY LIST ONE OF THE FAMILIES BELOW. McMahan, Thomas, (June or July 1814): “Site of the McMahan Fort” 1 sorrel mare, about four years old, 14 1/2 hands high, appraised to, $50.00 10 Head of hogs, $45.00 1 Axe, $2.00 1 Bottle of the oil of vitriol, $2.00 4 Pair of stockings, $4.00 1 large bear skin, $1.50 1/2 bushel’s sowing of wheat, $30.00 1/2 acre of flax, $2.50 1 bed quilt, $3.00 Total $140.00 AUTHOR’S NOTE: At present, I’m inquiring to see if payments by the Federal Government to the white settlers were made. Seems this is going to be another rabbit hole that I need to travel down to get the rest of the story. Where was the McMahan Fort Located? William McMahan’s Fort: Written by William D. Lay 1998. Constructed date: April, 1810/11 Location: On the Missouri, 2 miles North of Lamine River where it empties into the Missouri River, Samuel Cole (Son of Hannah Cole) said the fort was located on the south side of the Missouri River some 5 miles south from Cooper’s Fort. Judge Frederick Hyatt said the fort was located 4 miles below Arrow Rock on the south side of the Missouri. William Reed, a son-in-law of McMahan had his blockhouse in the east half of the northeast quarter of section 7 township 49 range 18. The fort was thought to be on the hill immediately to the south. Commonly referred to as the Jones Settlement. Many attempts have been made to find the exact location of this fort. However, two hundred years later it is believed that some eager historians, seeking the location with metal detectors, may have found the exact location. Fast Forward over 200 years to March of 2018 - Exploration to Find the Lost Lamine Fort - McMahan Fort By Wayne Lammers - October, 2019 I have two friends who called me one day in the winter of 2018, wanting to do some metal detecting to find some history in the City of Boonville. Knowing that Boonville has been searched for years, I wanted to find something virgin. Lamine was this virgin spot. As I have always known that the area around Lamine is full of history. My mother was born in that small town in 1919 along the tracks of the Missouri Pacific RR. I thought of some of the stories that she had told me living here in Boonville. I knew that General William H. Ashley lived there and ran a fur trading company out west. General Ashley (1780-1838) was an entrepreneur in the Louisiana Territory in the early days of its existence. He made money in real estate and manufacturing in St. Louis, MO, and during the War of 1812, he joined the Missouri Militia where he earned the rank of Brigadier General. At war’s end, he was elected the first Lieutenant Governor of the newly admitted state of Missouri in 1820. Ashley decided to try his luck in the fur trade business, which was quite lucrative at the time. Beaver hats were the height of fashion in Europe, driving massive demand for furs. Ashley decided to employ different methods of trade. The fur trade establishments on the upper Missouri did business by trading with local tribes of Indians. Ashley’s Company employed a few hunters/trappers directly, but most of their furs and skins were obtained through the trading with Indians. Ashley decided to send hundreds of men out to obtain furs directly by hunting and trapping. The men would be paid in furs, keeping half of what they collected as payment. William Ashley famously advertised in St. Louis newspapers in the 1820s: To enterprising young men. “The subscriber wishes to engage one hundred young men to ascend the Missouri to its source, there to be employed for one, two, or three years. For particulars enquire of Major Andrew Henry who will ascend with, and command, the party; or of the subscriber near St. Louis.” Thus, started his career in the fur trade business. He traveled with his company of men in keelboats up the Missouri River. He was very successful in trading with the Indians out west. He was buried inside an Indian mound overlooking the Missouri and Lamine Rivers in 1838. Many local people in the Lamine area have stated that General Ashley was buried in this Indian mound standing up right and that he wanted to watch over the Missouri and Lamine Rivers. This site is only two miles south of the site of the McMahan Fort. I have friends living in the Lamine area who know the early history there. Another old friend, Bob Dyer, who passed away on April 11, 2007, called me about 21 years ago, and asked me to go with him in a search of a Lost Lamine Fort. I had never heard of this. He had an idea where the McMahan Fort might be located which be on a farm on a hillside overlooking the Missouri River on property owned by another friend who will remain anonymous. In respect to these friends, I will not name them. Bob Dyer and I searched the area but found nothing. At that time, we had no metal detectors. On March 23, 2018, my two new friends and I went to this site again to see what we could find using a model Spectra VX3 made by White Metal Detectors, with a 13-inch coil. We were in high hopes to find something that would spur us on in our search of this lost early Lamine pioneer fort. Right away we started getting numerous metal hits in the grid that we laid out in this field overlooking the Missouri River. A nail. Another nail, and more square nails were the first finds of the day. Knowing that this type of nail would not have been used by early pioneers, we were disheartened. Over the years, a family must have built a home on this site resulting in our finding the square nails and other more modern artifacts like hinges, hand irons, meat cleaver, early wrenches, door knobs and so on. This field was semi level, overlooking the Missouri River which was about 400 yards away to the north. We were high enough to see that the river, could have been closer to this field some 200 years earlier. The area we were searching was a field of harvested corn, so searching was rather easy. LOOK what we found! Then it happened…… “A SILVER COIN!” someone cried!!! That’s right, a Spanish Real, dated 1806, and it was in fine shape (see photo below). In the early history of the expansion of the Far West, currency was in its infancy. No one bought things outright with cash. They bartered for things that they wanted. Federal Jacket Button Black Flint from England, supplied to Indians from British, porcelain dish shard Fired Musket Ball - impression from the wadding Cuff Button from Federal Uniform Osage Arrowhead Military Button with Stars Dime and Cuff Button 1806 Spanish Real Front and Back Mike Harris examining artifacts Map lists the settlers of Fort McMahan We were jumping up and down, still screaming to high heavens. This was again, a big find. The date on the old coin was 1806. The same year Lewis & Clark’s Expedition returned from their voyage to find a pathway to the Pacific Ocean. This was unbelievable. On the many trips to the site, we would stay as long as we could. After the finding of the 1806 silver coin, we again, hit the ground running. We started to find quite a few brass and metal buttons that we dated from the late 1700s and early 1800s. Some were made in England with eagles adorned on them which we felt were from an early military uniform. During the War of 1812 the Federal Government sent platoons of armed military units in to the established forts along the Missouri River to protect these early settlers. Forts like Cooper’s Fort, Fort Hempstead, Fort Kincaid, Hannah Cole’s Fort, Stephen Cole’s Fort and McMahan Fort were mostly situated each about 5 miles apart from one another. Many of the military must have stayed at the McMahan Fort for we found many of these military buttons at our site. We found a rusty broad ax that weighed about three pounds that may have been used to fell trees for the construction of the fort. I was told by the owner of the property that a spring was in a ravine about 60 yards to the south of the site. A water spring was so necessary for the livelihood of the pioneers. They needed it for survival. Good clean water for cooking, bathing for watering of animals and so on. He also told me that years ago, it was covered by a land slide that had a large tree on the slid area and stopped the flow of water. With this in mind, we proceeded to see what we could find. As we arrived at the spot, we could see the area that had slid down the embankment. You could tell we were near this spot. We looked under a bunch of fallen branches and found this wonderful running water again, coming up out of the ground (see photo below). Back at the site we found a multitude of lead musket balls scattered all over the site. I found only one that was completely round and had not been fired. The rest were all deformed from impact. We began finding a large quantity of broken pieces of cast iron that were from two to four inches across and about one forth inch thick. Some had little feet and handles on them that looked like they were from a large pot or kettle. Why so many???? And why everywhere???? At one point, we were finding so many cast iron pieces that we started to throw them out of the target field. This puzzled me for months. And then it finally came to me. While the Indians were burning the fort, the Indian braves began destroying all the household articles in the fort, like large kettles, pans and lids, knives, forks and spoons, everything. We found a spoon and fork broken and both bent double. We also found large stones in the area that could have been used for breaking up the cast iron and then scattered the pieces so that the pioneers could no longer use them. The Indians wanted the pioneers to leave this area and be gone… Forever. I consulted with another local historian who said Indians did this very thing when they destroyed a settlement or a fort. Discovered the spring CHECKING MY FINDS WITH EXPERTS On May 9th, 2019 I followed a lead from Michael Dickey who is the Administrator of the Arrow Rock Museum who has been helping me with my story. He advised me to contact Michael D. Harris who is an authority on the War of 1812. He is also a High School History teacher for some 29 years in St. James, MO. Michael D. Harris - War of 1812 in Missouri researcher for 32 years. BS ED in History, Masters in History. Michael Harris is very knowledgeable of the War of 1812 history. Mr. Harris stated “I think this MIGHT be the site (McMahan Fort). I need to see all your artifacts and the site itself before I can give you my honest opinion". So far, everything looks good.” He visited the fort site in June of 2019 to view the artifacts that we found. When I first called Michael Harris, I felt, he thought that I was pulling his leg. Right away he wanted facts and wanted to see artifacts. That same day, I sent him some clear photos that I had taken of the 1806 Spanish coin and what I thought were military buttons. He listened to my ideas on what we had discovered in the field overlooking the Missouri River. He was patient with me and I knew he was digesting my responses. He wasn’t satisfied with just some of the buttons. He wanted to see all of them, front and back. It took some time to send about 30 or so images of buttons, coins, and shot musket balls and etc. to him. Being a novice at this documentation, I had failed to place a scale or ruler by each object showing its size. My mother always told me “If you’re going to do something, do it right.” So, I proceeded to photograph them with ruler in hand. He also wanted to see the Early American Broad Axe that we found. On June 15th, 2019 I met with Michael Harris, Michael Dickey and the metal detector friend, to show all artifacts from the site at Lamine. This is to establish if this is the McMahan Fort Site that we have read about in the early history books from Cooper and Howard Counties, for once and for all. On this date we all sat down to view the multitude of artifact from the site. I was very excited to see what Harris and Dickey had to say about our finds. We met at 10 am and studied the relics for some 2 hours. We wanted to make a bee line, only 4 miles to the fort site. This didn’t happen. The Flood of 2019 stopped us in our tracks. Literally. Two of the 3 roads to the site were flooded by the Missouri River. After about one hour, we walked through the rain and waist high field corn to the hill overlooking the Missouri and Lamine Rivers. While my friend with the metal detector was scanning the ground, I took Michael Harris to the spring near the site. We found the spring flowing a fine stream of water to the Missouri River which was very nearby because of the flooding. We made our way back and found my friend who had found some square nails, earthenware, pottery and some broken Indian points. But nothing to shout out about. It was getting late and Mr. Harris needed to travel a long way home so we said our good-byes and left. When I got home all three of us exchanged emails about the day and our findings. Mr. Harris sent me photos of the washed pottery and earthenware. The metal detector operator did the same with what he and I found. In his bag of goodies, he found a black piece of flint about one inch long, about the size of my thumb nail. In studying it, we think he found a black flint from an early Flint Lock Rifle from the early 1800’s. CONCLUSIONS; Michael Harris wrote me saying: “I saw Mike’s [Mike Dickey] comment about the flint being English and I agree. The best flint came from England and was heavily imported before the war. [War of 1812]. The local flint in Missouri is gray and white as you know. The darker the flint, the better the spark. Yeah, the best flints came from England.” Now, about the fort. Do you have a specific reference to the Fort being on Thomas’ place? As you know, William McMahan had a blockhouse which was burned by the Indians. This was the only reference I have located about a McMahan Fort. We do know that Samuel had two houses on his property which does coincide with the areas you discovered in that field. Either one area is a trash pit or there was a structure there which matches the description.” This was the clincher. This had to be the site of the Lost Lamine Fort that has been gone from our history books for over 200 years…… The McMahan Fort. I believe that this story needs to be told because the people of Lamine should be very proud and need to preserve the heritage and legacy that they possess… Forever. Wayne Lammers - Boonville, MO Settlement in Lamine Township REFERENCES References: (Courtesy of Mike Dickey, Site Administrator, Arrow Rock Historic Site) Google Books – A History of Cooper County Missouri, 1876 Google Books – History of Howard and Cooper Counties, Missouri, 1883 Google Books – History of Cooper County Missouri, 1919 Library of Congress – Illustrated Historical Atlas of Cooper County, 1897 BALTIMORE KENTUCKY AXE HEAD The axe came from Kentucky to settle this new land lived in this area. History also states they built a fort to keep the families safe from roving Indians that were not peaceful to the new invaders who wanted to steal their land. The Indians were supplied by the British to help prevent these settlers from taking a foothold in the land west of the Missouri River. During the War of 1812, the settlers at Fort McMahan, located just 2 miles north of the Lamine River, were at peace. It wasn’t until June and July of 1815, that the Indians did attack this fort and drove all pioneers north across the Missouri River to a well established settlement called Coopers Fort, some 6 miles away. During the summer of 2019, I decided to restore a fine old rusty axe that was found on a hillside of the Missouri River just north of the Lamine River. The summer before I, along with two of my friends, were searching for a lost fort in the Lamine area. History books told us that twelve to fourteen pioneer families that see the fires from their homes and Fort McMahan. They never returned. Fast forward 200 years. I always wanted to fine a piece of history by digging in the earth. My friends felt the same, so I took them to where I thought this Lost McMahan Fort was located. Twenty five years ago my friend Bob Dyer took me to where he thought this fort was located. We had no metal detectors that day but felt it was a good location for an early pioneer fort. My friends and I returned to this site in 2018 looking for artifacts, using a fine metal detector that would indicate that the fort was here. While there, we found a very rusty old axe head that I researched and found that it was a Kentucky Baltimore Axe that dated back to the early 1800’s. I knew I needed to rejuvenate this 200 year old artifact from our early settlers of the Lamine area and the McMahan Fort. I did my research and found the easiest way to rejuvenate it was for me was to soak the axe head in a solution of pure apple cider vinegar for about four days. I checking it every other day or so and used a hammer to chip away some of the hard rust that resisted to leave this early American relic. This took much work to remove the corrosion from the artifact. I used a steal brush to finish it off then put a coat of fine oil on it to preserve the metal. When finished with the restoration of the axe head, I needed to mount it on a fine piece of wood that would complete the project. I had an old broken axe that was used beyond it’s time. I reshaped the handle to make a fine fit for the piece. When done, I feel that I did justice to this 200 year old piece of our early pioneer relic. Restoring Kentucky Axe Head Below this flint was made and shipped from England. England had the best known gun flints that were used at the time. They were superior to what were found and used in the New Frontier. The British supplied the Indians with guns and ammo to fight the pioneers here, during the War of 1812. This was also a major find, indicating that Indians were involved in the attack on Fort McMahan in June of 1816.

WHAT THEY DID FOR FUN In the early days of Cooper County, communities often shared the workload. Combining work and fun was a welcome and common activity. Barn raisings and barn dancing when the barn was finished were great social events. Another type of work/entertainment would be working together as a team to get major farm crops harvested. In the Fall, neighbors would gather for hog butchering at one farm and work together at what is a chore for one or two people, but not that difficult with many hands. The next week they would gather at another farm and repeat the work. They would do the same thing when it was time to bring in the grain crops at harvest time. Meanwhile, the women would be busy preparing food for the hungry workers. When the work was finished at one farm, the group would then move on to the next farm and repeat the activity until all the area crops were in. This was the “many hands make work light” idea. It was a very successful way of getting things done and enjoying the activity. Today we see farmers doing a similar activity when one of their neighbors is very ill, has been in a serious accident, or the widow needed help because she had no one to bring the crops in. The same process would also take place when it was hog butchering time. Not only was it enjoyable for the men to work together, it was a wonderful learning experience for young men. Women have had a similar type of “many hands make work light” activity. Preparing food together was a wonderful way to learn new techniques of cooking, new recipes, try new dishes and also make new friends "Quilting “Bees” were a similar activity for women. Whether it was creating a quilt for a new baby or for an upcoming wedding, women would work together on the project and have a great time during the discussions that went on. Like the young men, young girls would learn the art of quilt making which they could use in their future lives. Today, women still gather to do Civic projects and spend the day canning food. During WWI and WWII, women in the Cooper County area made quilts to raise money to send supplies to the soldiers. Today, Cooper County women make “Prayer Shawls for women with cancer. “Many hands make work light” is still true today. A Note About Quilt Making Making a quilt today is almost a lost art. Cooper County has been blessed with many current and former quilters. Even though there are many sources for fabric for today's quilters, this wonderful craft is almost unknown to most of today’s young women. If one has the opportunity to examine earlier quits, one is amazed at the variety of stitches used. These quits are truly a work of art! In colonial and later days, a family's only source of heat was the fireplace, and the fire was always "banked" at night for safety reasons. Quilts were invaluable to keep the family warm on cold/freezing nights. Early quilters usually did not have a source for their quilting materials other than their own household. Depending on the weight of the fabric, when a garment became stained, torn or had holes in it, it was not just thrown away, it was used for another purpose. It could be remade into a garment for a child or used for some other household use such as scrub clothes, towels or rag rugs. Small attractive pieces could be saved and used for quilts. Wool from men's trousers or jackets were often used for family winter quilts. For many families, it was the "wear it out, use it up, make do, or do without” policy. To receive a quilt as a wedding gift or a gift for a newborn, was almost a priceless gift. Source: Barbara Dahl Entertainment in Pilot Grove Gem Theater A small town just south of I-70 on M-135, Pilot Grove was once a thriving community. Schools, churches, doctors, and dozens of businesses once catered to the needs of hundreds of people in town as well as hundreds more on nearby farms. Heinrich's Country Store opened for business in October 1915. Later, the top floor of the store housed the town's main entertainment center—the Gem Theater. Admission was 15 cents for adults and 10 cents for children. Air-conditioning consisted of six paddle fans. Heating was done by a huge coal burning stove that was fired up early in the morning for evening shows. “Deep Purple,” a melodrama starring Clara Kimbell Young and John Gilbert, was the attraction on opening night. Unlike today when whole movies are on one DVD, these movies were shown on several reels of actual film. Between reels, slides were flashed on the screen advertising local merchants. And did I mention these were silent movies? The only sound was from a live pianist who was often accompanied by a violin or mandolin. Other great silent movie stars appeared at the Gem. For comedy, there were Abbot and Costello, Our Gang, and Charlie Chaplin. Westerns starring Buck Jones, Tom Mix, Gary Cooper, and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., were always a big hit. The movie house closed with the advent of “talkies.” The Gem continued for a number of years in its new life providing a place for high school plays and commencements. One such play, “The Feast of the Red Corn,” took place on March 4, 1937. On July 1, 1969, Heinrich's Country Store closed its doors for the last time. The building still stands and old-timers often look up at the second floor … but those days are now just a distant memory. Resource: Tales From the Village, by Richard L. Salmon “Deep Purple,” a melodrama starring Clara Kimbell Young and John Gilbert, was the attraction on opening night. Unlike today when whole movies are on one DVD, these movies were shown on several reels of actual film. Between reels, slides were flashed on the screen advertising local merchants. And did I mention these were silent movies? The only sound was from a live pianist who was often accompanied by a violin or mandolin. Other great silent movie stars appeared at the Gem. For comedy, there were Abbot and Costello, Our Gang, and Charlie Chaplin. Westerns starring Buck Jones, Tom Mix, Gary Cooper, and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., were always a big hit. The movie house closed with the advent of “talkies.” The Gem continued for a number of years in its new life providing a place for high school plays and commencements. One such play, “The Feast of the Red Corn,” took place on March 4, 1937. On July 1, 1969, Heinrich's Country Store closed its doors for the last time. The building still stands and old-timers often look up at the second floor...but those days are now just a distant memory. Source: Elizabeth Davis "Historically Yours" The back of the Gem Theater looking to the left across the back of the theater at the projection room which is at the top of the short stairs The back of the Gem Theater in Pilot Grove during the town's 150th anniversary in Aug. 2023. Notice the stage and doors on each side going behind the actors or the screen Lyceum There was a Lyceum in the early 1900's which hosted local and area educational talks on different subjects. At one time Pilot Grove had two movie theaters. One was in the hall above Pat Conway's store that was also used for roller skating. There was theater at the Mercantile store on the corner of Second and Roe, now the Meisenheimer Funeral Home. Mr. Conway was the first theater operator in Pilot Grove to run a weekly serial for children and parents. Two that were very popular were "Snow White" and "Perils of Pauline." Heinrich's Mercantile on the corner of First and Roe housed the second theater. His theater featured stationary folding chairs, an elevated floor which slanted towards the orchestra pit and a stage that was used for performances and movies. Admission to the theater was an expensive 15 cents for adults and 10 cents for children. Pearlie Dwyer was the first person to sell tickets and Miss Frieda Kistenmacher was the first pianist. Source: Elizabeth Davis "Historically Yours" The Princess Stock Company The Princess Stock Company presented plays featuring "Toby" and his players. In July of 1944, Toby and his players presented "The Long-Lost Perkins." "Chautauqua’s" were frequently held in Pilot Grove. They were a form of entertainment for adults by the giving of lectures, plays and concerts. They were held for several days, sometimes in tents. Outdoor movies were shown for a short time in the 1920's in a vacant lot where Twenter Lumber Company is now located. Movies were also shown in the Catholic Church Hall and there was a "CCC" or Civilian Conservation Camp located in Pilot Grove where outdoor movies were shown on Sunday evenings. Source: Elizabeth Davis "Historically Yours" The Pilot Grove Rodeo The Pilot Grove Rodeo, started in 1953, celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2023 featuring the Pilot Grove “Range Riders”. In 2023, over 2,000 people attended this event. Entertainment in Bunceton Princess Theater This was a theater, then a funeral home/furniture store in the 1930's, early 40's. Later a laundromat, then a bar, and is now apartments. Entertainment in Boonville Roller Skating Rinks Come to Boonville Boonville’s government and city council has changed over the years. In 1902 for instance, all elected officials were men. While the number of wards has changed occasionally, there have always been two councilmen per ward on the city council. Unlike today where the mayor leads the meetings, one councilman was elected President of the Council and led the meetings. When ordinances were passed by a majority, they were signed by the President, and then presented to the mayor for his approval. If ordinances were returned unsigned there would usually be more discussions and a vote to override the mayor’s objections. In 1902, the council had to decide if baseball could be played on public property on the Sabbath. Less than 40 years later the issue was roller skating rinks. In 1938, Ordinance #1281 was passed prohibiting the operation of skating rinks in Boonville. On November 9, 1938, Mr. Walter Viertel appeared before the Council and presented a petition requesting the city rescind the ordinance and asked for a license to operate a skating rink. Also present at the council meeting was Attorney John H. Windsor who was representing a group of businessmen who opposed rescinding the ordinance. The council voted to go into Executive Session to discuss the matter. After a lengthy discussion, no action was taken, and the regular session resumed. The following month, on December 5, 1938, a bill entitled “An Ordinance repealing Ordinance #1281 prohibiting the operation of roller-skating rinks in the City of Boonville, Mo.” was introduced by Councilman Cleary. The bill was read three times and passed unanimously by the council. The bill was signed by the President of the Council, and then presented to and approved by the mayor. Another bill was introduced to regulate and license the roller rinks. The first reading of the bill said license fees should be $50. A motion was made and seconded before the second reading to make the license fees $100. After a discussion, the bill was rewritten, read three times, and then passed unanimously. Signed by the President, it, too, was presented to and approved by the mayor. Sadly, roller rinks and bowling alleys aren't as popular in Boonville anymore. Missouri State Fair in Boonville The first attempt Within thirty years of statehood, citizens were calling for a state fair, a fair that would showcase the best of the best in the world of agriculture. On February 24, 1853, the Missouri Legislature authorized the incorporation of the Missouri State Agricultural Society. Paragraph 2 of their Charter begins: “In addition to the powers above enumerated, the Society shall, by its name and style aforesaid, have power to purchase and hold any quantity of land not exceeding twenty acres, and may sell and dispose of the same at pleasure. The said real estate shall be held by said Society for the sole purpose of erecting enclosures, buildings, and other improvements calculated and designed for the meeting of the Society, and for an exhibition of various breeds of horses, cattle, mules and other stock, and of agricultural, mechanical and domestic manufactures and productions, and for no other purposes…” Officers were named in Paragraph 5 and were from various counties around the state. M.M. Marmaduke was appointed president. James S. Rollins, Nathaniel Leonard, Dabney C. Garth, Roland Hughes, James C. Anderson, and Camm Seay, were named vice presidents. James L. Minor, Joseph L. Stephens, and William H. Trigg were appointed corresponding secretary, recording secretary, and treasurer, respectively. The Board of Directors held their first meeting in Boonville on June 22, 1853, and the first exhibition/fair was held in Boonville during the first week of October later that same year. As it was decided the Fair should also be educational, an annual address was included and the first speaker was Uriel Wright of St. Louis. The Missouri Legislature appropriated $1,351.50 for the event. The second fair was held the following year and the Missouri Legislature appropriated another $2,652.88. General James L. Minor, the Society’s corresponding secretary, was the speaker. While it has long been assumed that one learned farming and related agricultural skills by doing, Minor said, “The day is fast approaching when we must be educated for our great occupation.” It seems his vision of the future was on the mark. Few farmers today are without at least some college education. The third and last fair in Boonville took place in 1855, but it wasn’t for lack of interest. It was the last year the Missouri Legislature appropriated funds for the event. However, that did not permanently stop the fair. For years, people continued to come and compete just for the ribbons. It wasn’t until 1897 that the next serious attempt at a Missouri State Fair began. Source: Elizabeth Davis "Historically Yours" In this image we find 6 locals at the 1908 fair on Main Street. To the right you see a ferris wheel. The date is August 10, 1908. From the Wayne Lammers collection Before He ritage Days After the turn of the last century, Boonville’s business leaders came up with the idea to have festivals in order to bring people into downtown. The main event would be a parade of carriages and carts covered in flowers. The Missouri Drummers’ Association (traveling salesmen) held their first annual meeting in Boonville during the 1906 Street Fair and Flower Parade. During the three-day event on July 5-7, over 600 salesmen attended and participated in that year’s festival. Besides the Flower Parade, there were concerts by bands from as far away as Moberly, a shooting tournament, and other athletic events. The ladies were not excluded as they enjoyed rope skipping, potato races, and bowling. And there was a Grand Ball for everyone. No records are available to indicate when the festivals ceased, but by World War I, they were gone. Although Boonville was platted in 1817, the official “Act to Incorporate the City of Boonville” wasn’t approved until February 8, 1839. To celebrate Boonville’s 100th birthday in 1939, the city organized a Daniel Boone Days event to run from September 28 to October 1. The 4-day party must have been a success as it was repeated the following year from September 15-18. Records on display at the Old City Jail on Morgan Street indicate Daniel Boone Days became an annual celebration through most of the 1950s. There is a picture of ladies called the Sunbonnet Belles wearing long dresses that is dated “early 1950s.” These celebrations lasted until at least 1957 because “the 1957 festival also marked the centenary of Thespian Hall.” There were no records indicating additional festivals. Until 1989… As Boonville began to plan for its 150th anniversary, another festival was born—Boonville Heritage Days. Unlike Daniel Boone Days which were celebrated in early fall, Heritage Days take place is early summer. It might have started small but, with each passing year, it continues to grow. This year boasted a parade, high school reunions, a carnival, beer and wine gardens, and enough live entertainment to satisfy the whole family. Happy Birthday, Boonville. Boonville Events and Festivals - Past and Present Boonville is known for its many festivals and special events. It was the site of the first Missouri State Fair. Cooper County Fair Established in 1950’s Daniel Boone Days (1940s – 1950’s) Festival of Lights – (no longer held) Festival of Leaves – (no longer held) Heritage Days -est. 1989 Peddler’s Jamboree – est. 2000’s Big Muddy Folk Festival of the Arts – est. 1990’s Historic Homes Tour – off and on over the years Christmas in Historic Boonville

VETERINARIANS Dr. Benjamin Rush, the famous American medical doctor, was the first person to call for the establishment of a veterinary school, as he believed that many of the diseases animals suffered from were similar to those of humans. In 1848 George H. Dadd produced a series of Veterinary books and also edited the American Veterinary Journal. According to him, there were only 15 graduates of veterinary medicine practicing in the United States in 1847. By 1850, the practice of veterinary medicine was becoming widespread. Some of the practitioners were graduates of European programs, but most were those who just advertised their skills with animals. The first instruction in veterinary medicine was offered at the University of Missouri in 1872. Then, in 1884, Paul Paquin, trained in Quebec, brought a much-improved education over what was offered in the U.S. It wasn’t until the close of WWII that veterinary medicine entered the modern era. In early 1914, the idea of a Missouri School of veterinary medicine was discussed, but dropped, due to lack of funding. By the end of WWII there were only 10 schools of veterinary medicine in the United States. The Kansas City Veterinary College operated from 1881 to 1917 and graduated 1,789 students. The earliest graduates received a degree after 6 months of instruction, in comparison to the four years required today, and there were no admission standards. The school of Veterinary Medicine in Columbia Missouri opened its doors in 1946. The people who have practiced veterinary medicine in Cooper County history and lived here permanently are: Charles F. Moore – farmer, stock raiser, trader, and self-taught veterinary surgeon. 1826 – 1888. Dr. Ace Overton Donahew – He studied for three years at the Kansas City Veterinary College to become a veterinarian. He practiced in several counties and settled in Boonville. He was known to be an expert with horses and dogs. 1865 – 1928. Charles Doerric – was a veterinarian as well as the manufacturer of a very successful facial cream manufacturing company. He also was a farmer and coal miner who later studied veterinary surgery at the New York Veterinary College. As a veterinarian located in Cooper County, he also practiced in five nearby counties. He was also very active in Boonville community affairs. 1862 – ? Dr. Jonathan Paris Miller II – He became a veterinarian like his older brother Boyd, who practiced in California MO. He practiced for a while, then became the livestock inspector for the Western Wing Railroad. He attended St. Joseph Veterinary College, graduating in 1920 as President of his class. In 1930 he returned to his veterinary practice for 21 years. His was a family business. His wife answered the phone and his children helped with surgeries and helped on Saturdays. 1891 – 1958. Dr. Floyd E. Coley – Dr. Coley graduated in 1950 in the first class of the newly opened Missouri School of Veterinary medicine and practiced in Boonville. Doctor Coley spent his entire career in Boonville. In talking about his years treating animals, he commented that he was starting to treat more small companion animals and fewer large animals, and noted that more preventive medicine and better drugs were needed to treat those animals. 1916 – 2003 Dr. James K. Farrell – Dr. Farrell arrived in Boonville in 1950 and practiced there for many years. He has been very active in community and professional organizations. In 1969 he was honored by his peers as “Veterinarian of the Year.” In discussing changes seen in veterinary medicine, Dr. Farrell notes the rise of the pet practice and no dairies in the area. -1920 – 2001 Dr. Floyd Truman Swanstone – Dr. Floyd Truman Swanstone determined to become a veterinarian after going on calls with Dr. J.P. Miller. After WWII, he used the G.I. Bill to return to Missouri where he received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, majoring in animal husbandry, then his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1954. He practiced with Doctors Coley and Ferrel for a year, then built a new clinic on Highway 87. He had a hard time getting a loan for his new building. In that time period veterinarians treated only farm animals, not family pets. But, within a year after the building was finished, 50% of his practice was pets. In 1975 he sold his business to Dr. William D. Hope. Dr. Swanstone also worked for a local sales barn, became a real-estate agent, graduated from auction school, and was president of a local land corporation. 1925 – 1999 Dr. William Doniphan Hope – Dr. William Doniphan Hope graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Animal Husbandry in 1968, and after a tour of duty in South Vietnam he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Missouri in 1975. His family moved to Boonville and he began to work for Dr. Floyd Swanstone. Shortly thereafter the Hope purchased the building on Route 87 from Dr. Sandstone. Dr. Hope has also noticed the change in his practice from large animals to pets. In 1985 he sold his practice and returned to college earning a Ph.D. Then he became an equine specialist at the Purdue University of Veterinary Medicine. Now retired, he lives in Colorado. 1945 – alive. Dr. Wiley Ray McVicker – Dr. McVicker and his family moved to Boonville in 1979 from Fayette, Missouri where he had been employed as a veterinarian for 1-1/2 years following his graduation from the University of Missouri School of Veterinary Medicine. He received his Associates of Arts Degree in 1970 from Fort Scott Community College, his Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture in 1972, his Master of Science Degree in Agriculture in 1975 and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1977 from the University of Missouri. 1950 – alive. Dr. Debra Lee Stottlemeyer Upham – Dr. Debra Lee Stottlemeyer Upham joined Dr. McVicker at Boonslick Animal Hospital in 1998 upon her graduation from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. At the young age of 40 she died of cancer leaving behind a husband and two children. 1968 – 2008 Source: Dr. Maryellen McVicker Notes: In the past 100 years, Cooper County has gradually changed from a very rural county with many herds of large animals to one that is more urban. Dairy herds are gone, but some cattle are still raised. Some horses still dot the countryside, as do a few farms with chickens, hogs and sheep. But Dr. James Farrell was correct, each year there seem to be more companion animals needing care, and fewer vets caring for large animals. Veterinary Medicine in Cooper County There are currently two Animal Hospitals in Cooper County, Missouri, serving a population of 17,620 people in an area of 565 square miles. There is one animal hospital per 8,810 people, and one animal hospital per 282 square miles. In Missouri, Cooper County is ranked 6th of 115 counties in Animal Hospitals per capita, and 20th of 115 counties in Animal Hospitals per square mile. In the past 100 years, Cooper County has gradually changed from a very rural county to one that is more urban. Dairy herds are gone, but some cattle are still raised. Some horses still dot the countryside, as do a few farms with chickens, hogs and sheep. But Dr. James Farrell was correct, each year there seem to be more companion animals needing care, and fewer vets caring for large animals. Source: Countyoffice.org H istory of Cooper County Animal Hospital Greg Lenz DVM, son of Richard and Ann Lenz (Cooper County Dairy Producers) opened Cooper County Animal Hospital in spring/summer of 1987 immediately after graduating from University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. He opened it with the goal of eventually doing Bovine Embryo Transfer full time, but knew that in the beginning, he would need general practice until the ET business grew. He had several different veterinarians working for him during his ownership. After 7 years, the ET business had grown enough that Dr. Lenz put the business up for sale so he could move to the Springfield Missouri area (a higher dairy cattle concentration) and focus on his ET business I (Scott Fray) grew up in northeast Missouri (Monroe City), graduated from MU Vet School in 1991 and got my first job in Auburn, Nebraska. In 1993 I was passing through Boonville on my way to Monroe City, where we stopped to have lunch with a college friend of my wife's, Susan Lenz and my wife worked as interior designers in Columbia, MO while I was in Veterinary School. Susan mentioned in passing that her brother-in-law Greg Lenz was trying to sell his practice and that I should give him a call. After several phone calls, a couple more of visits to Boonville (even during the great flood of 93), and some creative financing from a bank that was willing to take a chance on a "broke" young veterinarian, we purchased Cooper County Animal Hospital on January 3, 1994. It is ironic that I knew nothing about Boonville, but my Mother's parents and her siblings, therefore, all of my cousins all grew up in the Smithton/Otterville area, and after we had been in Boonville for several years, my mother moved back to her home place near Otterville, and therefore much closer to us. When we purchased Cooper County Animal Hospital, it was a small, rural-mixed practice that could support one doctor and 2-3 employees. It was approximately 50:50 large/farm animal: companion animal, with a fair amount of equine, swine, sheep and goats, etc. Over the 30 years that we have owned the business, it has evolved into a 2 1/2 doctor practice with around 13 employees. It has also changed from 50:50 to approximately 80% companion animal (almost exclusively dog and cat) and 20% large animal (almost exclusively beef cattle) with more sheep and goats, but virtually no swine and very minimal equine. I think the growth and change in our practice follows closely the change in veterinary medicine as a whole. Boonville and Cooper county have grown and have become more urban, with more influence from Columbia, MO than in the past. Society has also evolved into viewing their pets much differently than in the past. They not only view them as much more of an integral part of the family and therefore place much more emotional value on them, but they also are much more willing in general to pursue treatment and prevention in a way that more resembles our human medical counterparts. As an example, in 1994, we answered the phone 24/7 and would see many of the emergencies ourselves. Currently, we still have a doctor on call, but we very seldom see small animal emergencies ourselves. There are 2 emergency veterinary hospitals in Columbia and people as a whole are in agreement that emergencies/urgencies should be seen in a setting where they are fully equipped and staffed. It's much like modern human medicine, where you wouldn't call your primary care physician for an emergency, you would go to the ER or Urgent care. As for the future of veterinary medicine, we see some signs of what might come. I would imagine that we will continue to progress and follow closely the model of human medicine as far as advanced treatments. This, however, also increases the cost of treating our pets. I suspect that the pet insurance industry will become more of an important method of helping owners' care for their pets. There are continuing advances and development of new, better prevention and treatment options becoming available almost daily. I suspect this will continue. There is much interest in the concept of "One Health", which is an interest in integrating animal and human medicine more closely. Science is evolving to understand how integral animal, both domestic and no-domestic animals, and human health are intertwined. Collaboration between the animal, human, environmental, and ecological sciences are becoming more common. In the Food animal veterinary world, there is a shortage of veterinarians nationwide. There is as lot of discussion of how to attract young veterinarians to rural areas and how to encourage their interest in food-animal medicine. This is especially seen in the beef cattle industry, not as much in the swine and dairy fields. Student loan debt is one reason for this, and that is being looked at, with loan forgiveness programs present at the federal level and at several states' levels (Missouri was one of the first states to have such a program). By: Scott A Fray, DVM Notes: In the past 100 years, Cooper County has gradually changed from a very rural county with many herds of large animals to one that is more urban. Dairy herds are gone, but some cattle are still raised. Some horses still dot the countryside, as do a few farms with chickens, hogs and sheep. But Dr. James Farrell was correct, each year there seem to be more companion animals needing care, and fewer vets caring for large animals.

WORLD WAR II (1939 ) Hard times worldwide caused the rise of dictators. Adolph Hitler, dictator in Germany, was a threat to Europeans. Benito Mussolini was a threat in Italy. Europeans felt they had to fight for their freedom. World War II began on September 1, 1939 , when German aircraft, tanks, and motorized troops attacked Poland. By early 1942 all major countries of the world were involved in the war. The war opened the Atomic Age, and brought changes in warfare. Trucks would speed the infantry men to the battle front after aerial bombing. Bombers and guided missiles were used. Airplanes, warships, and ground forces worked together with split second timing during attacks. Paratroops dropped from airplanes or landed in gliders. The war was fought in almost every part of the world. The chief battle grounds were in Asia, Europe, North Africa, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea. Italy surrendered on September 3, 1943 , Germany on May 7, 1945 , and Japan on September 2, 1945 . General Douglas MacArthur accepted the unconditional surrender on the deck of the battleship U.S.S. Missouri, and took over in Tokyo. A somewhat uneasy peace returned to a war-weary world. The United States was trying to stay out of the conflict, but there were three problems that affected the United States: the Germans were torpedoing Allied shipping, Germany had promised Mexico some American territory, and the U.S. had loaned Britain and France a lot of money. The United States did not enter the war until December 1941 , after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. At Wake Island the Japanese took many prisoners, including a Boonville man, Charles Huber, who was with a construction force. He remained a prisoner until the war ended. The U.S. wanted to stop German and Japanese aggression against other countries. 2,012 men from Cooper County served in World War II. All those serving from Cooper County are listed on a memorial plaque at the Cooper County courthouse. The 54 men killed in action during this war have a star by their names. Thomas Hart Benton Peril of War series painting Embarkation State Historical Society of Missouri Art Collection (1941) The United Stated Entered World War II after the Japanese bombing of the American fleet in Pearl Harbor. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “Missourians fought on nearly every front of the war with around 450,000 Missouri residents serving in the military. Soldiers from Missouri were stationed in Hawaii when Pearl Harbor came under attack. Missouri soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Each campaign of the war involved Missourians overseas and those who served at home. Shortly after Pearl Harbor was attacked, Thomas Hart Benton worked on The Year of Peril, a series of powerful war paintings financed by medical supplier Abbott Laboratories for the war department. Among the series, Benton honored the soldiers of WWII with this image of a Black soldier who trained in Kansas City. The image foreshadows the desegregation of the armed forces instituted by President Harry Truman after WWII.” (1945) The formal end of WWII took place onboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “WWII raged on from 1939-1945, causing massive devastation in its wake. It would be the deadliest war taking the lives of 60-80 million people, including the 6 million European Jews who were murdered in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. The end of the car came when the U.S. Army Air Force detonated two nuclear bombs over Japan. The dropping of the atomic bombs, along with a Soviet invasion of Japanese-occupied Manchuria in northeastern China put an end to the war. The first unofficial news of surrender came from local radio stations on August 14. Missourians honked car horns, shouted from windows and filled the streets to celebrate the end of the war. In St. Louis, office workers threw paperwork into the air like confetti, while others banged washboards and danced in the streets. The official word came later that day when President Truman confirmed the news. Japanese officers offered unconditional surrender to General Douglas MacArthur and other U.S. and Allied officers on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.” Official surrender of Japan is signed on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Sept. 2, 1945, (P0409) State Historical Society of Missouri. WORLD WAR II WEBPAGES HISTORY CHANNEL BRITANNICA NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM NEW ORLEANS 42 MAPS THAT EXPLAIN WORLD WAR II WORLD WAR II DIGITAL HISTORY WORLD WAR II NATIONAL ARCHIVES RECORDS PRESERVING THEIR STORIES: INTERVIEWS WITH WWII, KOREAN, VIETNAM AND IRAQ WAR VETERANS WORLD WAR II IN EUROPE WORLD WAR II LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

COOPER COUNTY BANKS The First Hundred Years of Banking in Cooper County The first bank in what would eventually become Missouri, was chartered in 1813 and established in St. Louis in 1816 as the Bank of St. Louis. This bank failed in 1819. The Bank of Missouri, which was chartered in 1817, failed in 1822. A branch of the United States bank had several branches throughout the state, but after President Andrew Jackson, in 1836, vetoed a bill to renew the bank’s charter, it, too, was forced to close. Barely a state for 15 years, Missouri found themselves without a bank. Thankfully, the Legislature authorized the Bank of the State of Missouri in 1837. This was the only bank in Missouri for the next 10 years. In 1847, Boatmen’s Saving Institution was established in St. Louis. That same year, Dr. William H. Trigg opened Boonville’s first bank. A Boonville branch of the Bank of St. Louis opened in 1856. No other banks were opened until after the Civil War. The Central National Bank was established in 1865. Just as Missouri grew, so did our banking system. At least 10 other banks were established in Cooper County between 1865 and 1919. The Commercial Bank of Boonville was organized in 1883. The following year on June 13, 1884, the Pilot Grove Bank was organized. The Bank of Bunceton was organized on August 25, 1887. Two more banks were organized during the 1890s. The Cooper County Bank of Bunceton organized on June 26, 1893, and The Farmer’s Stock Bank of Blackwater followed in 1895. With the coming of the twentieth century, the Bank of Woolridge organized in June 1902. On April 11, 1905, the Bank of Pleasant Green organized. It is interesting to note that this bank didn’t pay any dividends until it had an accumulated, and certified surplus, an amount equal to the capital stock, which was in 1913. From 1913 to 1919 it paid an average dividend of 15 per cent. The Bank of Blackwater organized in 1906 and the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Otterville organized in September 1914. Another Boonville bank, the Boonville National Bank, organized October 30, 1916. Kemper Bank was organized in Boonville in 1924 and was later renamed the UMB Bank, Boonville Branch. When the UMB Bank moved to it’s new Boonville location, the old bank became the Boonville City Hall. Most of these banks were capitalized with $10,000. Not much by today’s standards, but then, $10,000 went a lot further a hundred years ago than it does today. Source: Elizabeth Davis, Historically Yours The Bank of Missouri, which was chartered in 1817, failed in 1822. A branch of the United States Bank had several branches throughout the state, but after President Andrew Jackson, in 1836, vetoed a bill to renew the bank’s charter, it, too, was forced to close. Barely a state for 15 years, Missouri found themselves without a bank. Thankfully, the Legislature authorized the Bank of the State of Missouri in 1837. This was the only bank in Missouri for the next 10 years. In 1847, Boatmen’s Saving Institution was established in St. Louis. That same year, Dr. William H. Trigg opened Boonville’s first bank. A Boonville branch of the Bank of St. Louis opened in 1856. No other banks were opened until after the Civil War. The Central National Bank was established in 1865. At least 10 other banks were established in Cooper County between 1865 and 1919. Just as Missouri grew, so did our banking system. including The Commercial Bank of Boonville in 1883, The Pilot Grove Bank in 1884 and the Bank of Bunceton in 1887. Two more banks were organized in 1890’s. The Cooper County Bank of Bunceton organized June 26, 1893 and the Farmer’s Stock Bank of Blackwater in 1895. The Bank of Speed started in Speed, MO in the 1870s, and they opened a branch in Prairie Home in 1900. The financial soundness of the bank in 1893 was they had capitol of $10,000 and a cash on hand of $650. They were solid according to the rules of the day. Bank examiner records stop listing this bank in 1916. The Bank of Blackwater was organized in 1906 and the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Otterville organized in September 1914. Another Boonville bank, the Boonville National Bank, organized October 30, 1916. With the coming of the twentieth century, the Bank of Wooldridge organized in 1902. On April 11, 1905, the Bank of Pleasant Green organized. It is interesting to note that this bank didn’t pay any dividends until it had accumulated a certified surplus equal to the capitol stock, which was in 1913. From 1913 to 1919 it paid an average dividend of 15 percent. Kemper State Bank was founded in 1928 changed its name to UMB BANK (United Missouri Bank, Boonville in 1972; then UMB Bank in 1994). Source: Elizabeth Davis, Historically Yours BANK TENURE OUT OF COUNTY BANKS 1816-1819 - Bank of St. Louis. Bank failed in 1819 1817-1822 - Bank of Missouri. Bank Failed in 1822 1836-1847 - United States Bank. Bank closed 1836 1837-1847 - Bank of the State of Missouri 1856-? - Bank of St. Louis - Boonville Branch 1865-? - Central National Bank SPEED 1870's-1916 - Bank of Speed 1900-1916 - Prairie Home - Branch of Bank of Speed BOONVILLE 1883-? - Commercial Bank of Boonville Central National Bank 1906-? - Boonville National Bank 1916 - Boonville National Bank 1901 - Farmer’s, Commercial, and Central National Bank Citizens Trust Company of Boonville 1901 - Commercial Bank of Boonville National Bank of Boonville 1906 - Central National Bank 1928 - Kemper State Bank –Boonville, founded in 1928 changed its name to UMB Bank PILOT GROVE 1884 - Pilot Grove Bank 1913 - Present day Citizens Community Bank BUNCETON (Bunceton Banks have had several names) 1887 - The Bank of Bunceton 1893 - Cooper County Bank of Bunceton (latest bank name) BLACKWATER 1895 - The Farmer’s Stock Bank of Blackwater 1906 - The Bank of Blackwater CLIFTON CITY Closed in ? WOOLDRIDGE 1902 - The Bank of Woolridge PLEASANT GREEN 1905-1925 - The Bank of Pleasant Green OTTERVILLE 1914-1929 - Farmers and Merchants Bank of Otterville KEMPER STATE BANK Kemper State Bank Boonville, founded in 1928 still in operation as UMB Bank. Changed its name to United Missouri Bank Boonville in 1972; then to UMB Bank in 1994 Source: Elizabeth Davis, Historically Yours Clifton City Bank – then and now. More than that is shown, look at the old photo of what was Main St...now no name and a gravel drive. Clifton City – Bank In the late 1800 Clifton City had a bank. It was a beautiful brick building standing on the South side of town. In 1886, W.B. Lane was cashier at the Bank, and Peter J. Devine, was Vice-President of the Bank. Over the years the building has been a home to several different business - a café, grocery store and many other things. Today it still stands as a place for storage, and is slowly losing its beauty. Abraham Potter who was born in 1825 was a stockholder in the bank. Abraham was a stanch democrat, and had ever stoutly maintained the principles of that Party. Abraham was a very close friend of Jesse James and he would come to Clifton City to visit. The bank closed in 1929 . By: Carolyn Aggeler BANK DIVIDENDS Today most of us would not consider a bank that did not pay interest or "dividends" on our savings account. It is interesting to note that the Bank of Pleasant Green didn’t pay any dividends until it had an accumulated a certified surplus, an amount equal to the capital stock, which was in 1913. From 1913 to 1919 it paid an average dividend of 15 per cent. Most of these banks were capitalized with $10,000. Not much by today’s standards, but then, $10,000 went a lot further a hundred years ago than it does today. Source: Elizabeth Davis, Historically Yours Citizens Bank of Pilot Grove October 29, 1929, went down in history as Black Tuesday, and America went from the Roaring Twenties to the Great Depression. Banks failed and millions of people lost their jobs, homes, and life savings. Things were still bad in November 1932, but Henry A. Seltsam, cashier and secretary of the Citizens Bank of Pilot Grove, had a plan. It was a daring plan that Seltsam presented to the bank directors on Monday, November 7, 1932. “It is not fair to the faithful to permit steady withdrawals to undermine the bank’s stability, and then be forced to close with subsequent division of the remainder. I favor closing the bank tomorrow. “There is one chance to save it. If all the depositors will sign a moratorium not to draw out for 18 months what they now have on deposit, we can save the bank.” After much discussion and planning, the plan was accepted. All banks were closed the following day for the Presidential election, but the Citizens Bank of Pilot Grove remained closed on Wednesday as well. Working day and night, Seltsam and director Wallace Burger began collecting signatures. The catch: the voluntary impounding of funds would not go into effect until, and unless, 100 per cent of the depositors signed the agreement. Every depositor had an opinion about the plan, but most agreed the bank must be saved. Finally, with the signatures of all depositors, the bank re-opened and deposits grew. Pilot Grove might have been on the road to recovery, but the nation was not. While signatures were being collected in and around Pilot Grove, the people were voting for a new President. Franklin D. Roosevelt was that man. FDR took office on March 4, 1933, and immediately ordered every depository in the nation closed. After each was audited, only the financially sound were allowed to re-open. And thanks to the foresightedness of Seltsam and the directors, the Citizens Bank of Pilot Grove was one of the first to do so. Source: Pilot Grove Bicentennial COUNTY BANKS AND TRAIN ROBBERIES Pleasant Green - Cooper County’s First Bank robbery took place in Pleasant Green in 1926. The Robbers were finally captured by a Cooper County Sheriff with one arm. Jesse James - The James Gang hits Otterville: Jesse James is probably one of the most notorious outlaws of the Wild West. He is credited with the first daylight bank robbery in the US, although it was probably his "gang" that pulled off the $60,000 heist in Liberty, Missouri, and not Jesse himself. However, there is little doubt that Jesse was an active participant of the 1876 train robbery near Otterville. Wanting to rob a bank in Minnesota, the James-Younger Gang set out to arrange financing for their trip up north by robbing a train in Missouri. They chose a dangerous stretch of tracks called Rocky Cut near Otterville, Missouri, to hold up the train. On the evening of July 7, 1876, eight members of the gang captured the night guard at Rocky Cut and used his lantern to flag down the train. Once stopped, the gang boarded the train, robbed both safes, then disappeared into the night. Not far from there, the gang stopped to split up the money before riding off in separate directions. Today, that location is marked by a stone in a roadside park just east of Otterville. Hobbs Kerry, a new member of the gang, was arrested a few days later and gave up the names of the other seven men involved in the robbery. They were Frank and Jesse James, Cole and Bob Younger, Bill Chadwell, Clell Miller, and Charlie Pitts. For some reason, the third Younger brother, Jim, had not been among them. However, by that time, the gang was headed north to Northfield, Minnesota, where their planned bank robbery ended in failure in more ways than one. Bill Chadwell and Clell Miller were killed during the hold up. Charlie Pitts was killed when Bob, Jim, and Cole Younger were captured. Only Frank and Jesse James made it out of Minnesota. Bob Younger died of tuberculosis on September 16, 1889, while still in prison. Jim and Cole Younger were paroled, but Jim committed suicide on October 19, 1902. Jesse James was murdered on April 3, 1882, by gang member Robert Ford for the $5,000 reward on Jesse's head. However, Ford was never able to collect. After giving up their lives of crime, Frank James died February 18, 1915, and Cole Younger died March 21, 1916. Source: "Discover Cooper County" by Ann Betteridge A blackberry cobbler recipe by Zerelda James, Jesse James' mother

RADIO Radio Comes to Missouri Farmers The marriage between the Missouri Board of Agriculture’s Marketing Bureau, which was created in 1919, and that new-fangled medium called radio took place in March 1922 when a radio transmitter was installed on the roof floor of the Missouri Capitol. It was only the seventh transmitter of its kind in the United States. Radio station WOS, which stood for “Watch Our State”, was meant to “promote effectual and economic methods of marketing farm products.” On December 1, Arthur T. Nelson became the first State Marketing Commissioner, and it didn’t take him long to realize WOS could do more than broadcast market information to farmers. Soon professors from the University of Missouri College of Agriculture in Columbia were giving agricultural lectures and the Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) Band and Orchestra was providing music. Market information came from the US Department of Agriculture and was broadcast the first fifteen minutes of every hour from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. At the time, radios were rare. There might only be one or two in the whole community so people would gather wherever a radio happened to be such as banks, county offices, and drugstores. Those with radios were instructed by the Bureau to record the news on forms they provided and then distribute the information by word-of-mouth and through the local press. Radios did not remain scarce for long. By 1927, there were more than 70,000 radios on Missouri farms. Religious services had begun broadcasting on Sunday evenings. Musical concerts were available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights from 8 p.m. until 9:30. Most Mondays, the music was provided by inmates from the MSP Band and Orchestra. It seemed that radio was here to stay. Source: Elizabeth Davis, "Historically Yours "

TELEPHONES Today, we live in a world of websites and smart phones. Early in the 20th century, less than half the businesses listed a phone number in their business ads. Here is a list of businesses and their phone numbers as found in Kemper's 1901 Haversack yearbook. A. K. Mills, Jr., Undertaker & Embalmer, office #250, residence #173 A. M. Koontz, Good Things to Eat, phone #18 Chas. Heiberger, Bakery and Confectionery, phone #111 D. S. Koontz & Son, phone #3 Thiessen & Warnhoff's, phone #286 No, these are not typos. They are actual phone numbers of the day. They are also the only businesses that listed phone numbers. Source: Elizabeth Davis of "Historically Yours " The first regular telephone exchange was in New Haven, CT. The phones were leased and the owner had to put up his own lines to connect with another phone. The first rotary dial phone was invented in 1896. In 1889 the coin-operated pay phone was patented. It is interesting that the customer paid for the call after it was made. By the time the first pay phones were installed in 1905, there were about 2.2 million phones. Rotary Dial Phones were introduced in 1954. Touch-Tone Phones were introduced in the 1940’s, but by 1990 the push button phones were more common than the rotary-dial phone. Cordless Phones were introduced in the 1970’s. In 1994, digital cordless phones were introduced, which were more secure than a landline phone. Cell Phones – an early mobile phone was a radio-controlled unit designed for vehicles. They had a short range and were clumsy to work with, and they were expensive. Two 17 year old’s try to use a rotary dial telephone Additional information can be found at: Bellis, Mary. "How the Telephone Was Invented ." ThoughtCo, May. 22, 2021, Telephone Companies that Currently Service Cooper County Gonetspeed servicing the following Cooper County Towns: Blackwater Bellair Boonville Bunceton Clifton City Lamine Lone Elm New Lebanon Otterville Pilot Grove Prairie Home Speed Wooldridge Co-Mo servicing the following Cooper County Towns: Blackwater Boonville Bunceton Otterville Pilot Grove Prairie Home Wooldridge For more than a century, the Otelco family of communication companies has been providing rural communities with cutting age technology, first with the telephone in the late 1800's and today with traditional and digital technology and high-speed internet. The original part of OTELCO in Missouri, the Gilliam Telephone Company, was formed May 18, 1903 and the Marshal Junction Telephone Company was formed in 1928. These two companies merged in November 1932 and became the Mid-Missouri Telephone Company, owned and managed by Harold Jones and family. In 1946, Mid-Missouri bought Telephone Company the Blackwater-Arrow Rock Telephone Company, adding the Blackwater and Arrow Rock exchanges. With the vision of serving rural communities where telephone service needed upgrading, Mid-Missouri Telephone Company grew, acquiring Nelson, Pilot Grove and Bunceton exchanges from United Telephone. Then, Speed, Latham, High Point and Miami completed the current 12 exchanges extending 100 miles from north to south. Internet service was added in March 1995, and in 2002 I-Land internet Services was acquired. On December 21, 2004, Mid-Missouri Telephone Company became a division of OTELCO, with the name officially changing to Otelco Mid-Missouri LLC on January 1, 2012. In 2018, all companies started using the OTELCO name. The company is now active in seven states. Many other neighboring exchanges were added, thus expanding their boundaries 100 miles north to south. On December 21, 2004, Mid-Missouri Telephone became a division of Otelco. Otelco acquired Gonetspeed in May of 2022. There are currently 10 employees at the Pilot Grove location. Co-Mo’s mission is to improve the quality of life for the region we serve. We continually evaluate neighboring communities that are not served, or are underserved, in relation to broadband services. We have expanded into city areas such as Boonville that we do not serve electrically, but have been able to bring broadband service to residents of those towns and others. Co-Mo Connect, a subsidiary of Co-Mo Electric, began a pilot program in 2010 to determine if it could bring all of the cooperative’s members a state-of-the-art fiber-to the home communications network. In June of 2012, the Co-Mo Comm Board of Directors announced it would expand the pilot program to the entire Co-Mo Electric service territory through a four-phase plan over the next four years. In addition to telephone and internet services, the communications network, dubbed Co-Mo Connect, would offer television packages over the revolutionary fiber system. As of 2023, Co-Mo Connect serves 30,00 members in rural Missouri. Do-it-Yourself Telephone Service The people of Clear Creek wanted to modernize their community, so in 1907 they set up their own telephone system. They set up poles and lines, and the system was used by seven families. The system was housed in a Clear Creek home, and members of that family were the operators. In 1913-1914 they consolidated their system with Pilot Grove. Source: Pilot Grove Centennial Book Visit the Telephone Pioneers Museum in Blackwater next to Mary Ann Schuster's insurance office. The city hall clerk is in charge of locking/unlocking the Museum. The Museum has a lot of the old switchboards, phones, and lineman tools. There are a couple framed articles about the history of Mid-Missouri Telephone company.

FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN COOPER COUNTY There are 18 fire departments in Cooper County, Missouri, serving a population of 17,620 people in an area of 565 square miles. There is one fire department per 978 people, and one fire department per 31 square miles. In Missouri, Cooper County is ranked 26th of 115 counties in Fire Departments per capita, and 27th of 115 counties in Fire Departments per square mile. List of Cooper County Fire Departments Today Find Cooper County, Missouri fire departments, city fire stations, firefighters, brigades, chiefs, inspectors, marshals, and local volunteers. Blackwater Fire Department 301 Trigg Street Blackwater, MO Blackwater Rural Fire Department 301 Trigg Avenue Blackwater, MO Boonville Fire Department 500 Bingham Road Boonville, MO Boonville Fire Department - Substation 6th Street Boonville, MO Bunceton City Fire Department 115 East Main Street Bunceton, MO City Of Pilot Grove Fire Department 109 Main Street Pilot Grove, MO Clifton City Fire Department State Highway BB Otterville, MO Cooper County Fire Protection District 17010 Highway 87 Boonville, MO Cooper County Fire Protection District Station 1 16994 Missouri 87 Boonville, MO Cooper County Fire Protection District Station 2 11500 Santa Fe Road Boonville, MO Cooper County Fire Protection District Station 3 25201 Missouri 179 Boonville, MO Cooper County Fire Protection District Station 4 14847 Missouri 5 Boonville, MO Otterville Fire Protection District 321 State Highway BB Otterville, MO Otterville Fire Protection District 3530 Old Route 50 Otterville, MO Pilot Grove Rural Fire Department 209 Main Street Pilot Grove, MO Prairie Home Rural Fire Association 480 Main Street Prairie Home, MO Prairie Home Rural Fire Protection District 466 Main Street Prairie Home, MO Versailles Fire Department 104 Spruce Street Bunceton, MO About Cooper County Fire Departments Cooper County Fire Departments provide fire protection and emergency response services to the Cooper County, MO community with a mission to prevent the loss of life and property. In addition to responding to calls for fire suppression, Cooper County Fire Departments respond to medical emergencies, incidents involving hazardous materials, rescue calls, and motor vehicle or other accidents.

WHAT TO VISIT IN COOPER COUNTY Videos A 10-minute video on a walking tour of homes and buildings in Boonville from the Edward Lang. Collection Note: 12 years ago when the video was made, the tourism building is now the River, Rails and Trails Museum. A 10-minute video trip of interesting homes and buildings in Cooper County from the Edward Lang Collection. A drone's eye view of Boonville as seen on HGTV's Hometown Takeover. Something unique in our area - barn quilts! Note: Tour booklets with directions are available, free of charge, at of charge at: Cooper County Historical Society, River Rails and Trails Museum, The Friends of Historic Boonville and the Chamber of Commerce. HISTORIC MARKERS AT COOPER COUNTY COURTHOUSE War Memorials on the Courthouse grounds Marker honors the Union soldiers killed during the Civil War Plaques in Cooper County Courthouse Honoring Cooper County residents who served in World War II 2 Granite Memorial Benches at Cooper County Courthouse Honoring Veterans of WWII and Viet Nam War North side of Courthouse lawn--Vietnam Veterans Memorial Granite Bench and Tree. Dedicated Nov 11, 2015 by Daughters of the American Revolution, Hannah Cole Chapter South side of Courthouse lawn - WW II Veterans Memorial granite Bench. Dedicated Nov 12, 2018 by Daughters of the American Revolution, Hannah Cole Chapter Courthouse Lawn Marker stating “They died that freedom might not perish from the earth”, Lists names of Cooper County men who died in World War I Marker erected by John A. Hayes, post number 240 GAR to commemorate the battles of June 17, and September 13, 1861 and the capture of Boonville on October 16, 1864 Statue honoring the Boy Scouts of America – 40th anniversary crusade to strengthen the of the American Revolution, marking the Santa Fe Trail, 1821-1921 Inside of Courthouse in the lobby - Plaque listing all Cooper County residents who served in World War II Veterans Memorial Park designed by Missouri sculptor and artist Sabra Tull Meyer, features a beautiful eagle and is located across from the Courthouse on the northwest corner of High and Main Street. The Veterans Memorial Park is located near the Boonville Bridge Route 40. INTERESTING SITES IN BOONVILLE Walking Tour of Boonville – See Rails, Trails and River Museum for map at River, Rail and Trails Museum - Excellent collection of early Boonville artifacts. Free admission - GoBoonville.com Mitchell Antique Car Museum – See River Rails and Trails Museum for tickets at: River, Rails & Trails Museum, Boonville - GoBoonville.com Hain House (contact Friends of Historic Boonville ) Thespian Hall (contact Friends of Historic Boonville ) Old Cooper County Jail and Hanging Barn (See Friends of Historic Boonville ) Boonville Cemeteries (See tour map here ) Boonville Churches (See tour map here ) Hannah Cole Statue in Morgan Street Park on the corner of Morgan and Main Street, Boonville KATY Bridge – walk on the old Railroad Bridge with the iconic lift span which was originally part of the MKT railroad KATY Depot – now the Chamber of Commerce building with an old KATY caboose and train signal lights Walking or driving Tour of Homes on Historic Register – (see Historic Register website information in historic homes section of website) Roslyn Heights State DAR Headquarters – (listed as Johnson, Wilbur T and Rhoda Stevens House on National Register) Currently not open for tours Hotel Frederick and Restaurant Morgan Street Park on corner of Morgan and Main Street, Boonville This park features a statue of Hannah Cole and also bronze busts on pedestals of prominent early Cooper County residents who were very influential in their fields: David Barton, George Caleb Bingham, Frederick T. Kemper, James Milton Turner and Walter Williams. (See more about these men in the Early Personalities section of the website.) Harley Park – Indian Mounds, great view of the Missouri River Bell Park on High Street – great view of the Missouri River Site of Hannah Cole Fort – First Battle of Boonville and First Missouri State Fair on Morgan Street on the east side, site of old hospital. Grand Army of the Republic marker – marks site of the Second battle of Boonville, on East side of old hospital grounds. Additional marker of the Second Battle of Boonville at the Boonville Correctional Center grounds. Veteran's Memorial Park near Boonville Bridge This barn quilt, which hangs in the River, Rails and Trails Museum, was made by the FanAttics Quilt Club of Boonville. It replicates the 20 hand painted Barn Quilts that are on Cooper County barns. FULL AND HALF-DAY TRIPS Outside of Boonville Barn Quilts – See Rails, Trails & River Museum, Cooper County Historical Society, Friends of Historic Boonville or the Chamber of Commerce for tour map Cooper County Cemeteries (See tour map here ) Cooper County Churches (See tour map here ) New Lebanon Presbyterian Church, school, cemetery, Uncle Abe’s Store Mid 1800’s structures in excellent condition Old Schools - New Lebanon, Lamine and Dick’s Mill (See more about schools here ) Cotton - Dick’s School – one of three remaining one room schools in Cooper County and the only remaining mill (Dick’s Mill ) in Cooper County Last Remaining Stage Coach Stop in the County – on Route 5 between Billingsville and the Petite Saline River Santa Fe Trail Head Park in New Franklin Boonslick State Park with the Salt Lick Pilot Grove - Mt. Nebo Baptist Church ; Old Jail and City Hall, City Park – history of Harriman’s Mill and original Millstone; Rural Pilot Grove - Pleasant Green Plantation , Methodist Church and Cemetery; Burwood and Crestmede Tour of Burwood - Hwy 135 by appointment 660-834-3406 KATY Trail bike trail. Brownfield Roadside Park on old Highway 50. Historical Marker overlooking the area of Jesse James train robbery. Warm Springs Ranch Home of Budweiser Clydesdales (off of Interstate 70) Visit Warm Springs Ranch to book your tour Blackwater - Mid-Missouri Museum of Independent Telephone Pioneers A museum showcases a unique collection of telephone equipment and memorabilia. It is housed in a beautiful building that was originally the Bank of Blackwater. Also visit the ”Depot” train station, now the community center, and the old hotel and restaurant. There are a few antique and trendy shops along the very attractive Main Street. A charming step back in time. Arrow Rock – This lovely little river town was once part of Cooper County and was very instrumental in the early settling and development of the County. A corner of the site still overlaps into Cooper County. It features an excellent historical museum , and the old Huston “tavern” still in operation, plus a variety of State Historic Site : Arrow Rock State Historic Site There are many short trips to take in the Boonville area, but also many things that could turn into a full day trip by visiting several unrelated places out in the County. Here is a suggestion for a full day trip: (But bring your own lunch) Take Highway 5 South out of Boonville. Cross I-70 and take Highway 5 towards Billingsville. About 2 ½ miles from I-70, you will see a sign for Billingsville . Turn left, then right and you will see St. John’s United Church of Christ (1866) and the well-kept cemetery . Return to Route 5 (South) and in less than 1/8 mile , on the right side of route 5, you will see a small stone building with a wooden door. This is the last remaining stage stop in Cooper County (1860). Shortly past the stage stop is a bridge over the Petite Saline River. As you drive over it, imagine that you are driving through the long covered wooden bridge that was once spanned the river there. Continue on Route 5, heading south, and in about 31/2 miles, on the right, you will see a sign for Bellair . Look right, through the trees, and you will see the yellow Pauley house , then on the right side you will see the Bellair Methodist Church (1860 ) with its beautiful stained-glass window. Across from the church is the Leonard home, (1913 ) which was once a school. Soon after the Leonard home , on the left of the highway, you will see the magnificent Ravenswood mansion, which is no longer open to visitors. Continue south until you see a sign on the right for the Hannah Cole Roadside Park and Briscoe cemetery . This is the burial place of Hannah Cole and some of her family. Return to route 5 and turn right onto Highway E. You will pass the Mt. Nebo Baptist Church (1856 ) . At the intersection of E and A, turn left onto Route A, which will take you past Crestmede (1865 ) and into New Lebanon. Here you will see the C umberland Presbyterian Church (1860 ) , Uncle Abe’s Country Store (1926 ) , the New Lebanon School (1889 ) and the New Lebanon cemetery . All are in perfect condition. Continue on A to Otterville where there is a Civil War site along the railroad tracks at the Conservation Center . At Otterville pick up Route BB towards Clifton City. BB turns into Route 135. On 135 you will see Burwood (1880 ) which offers tours, and Pleasant Green Plantation (1820 ) . Continue on 135 through Pilot Grove , which is now the second largest town in Cooper County. Pilot Grove is also the home of the CCHS. Stop in on Friday from 9-12 PM. Also see our Barn Quilt and visit our research center . Email us for an appointment: cchs2016@iland.net See the old Calaboose jail. Continue on 135 until you reach Hwy 70 and as you return, remember the great time you had exploring a part of Cooper County! HISTORICAL/MEMORIAL MARKERS IN COOPER COUNTY Hannah Cole gravesite at Briscoe Cemetery and Park maintained by Hannah Cole DAR (Route 5 and E) near Bellair CIVIL WAR SITES Civil War sites and markers (see list and description at the end of the Civil War website section ) Hannah Cole Fort Area and 1st Battle of Boonville Site, Rural Boonville, June 17, 1861 DNR Marker at Missouri Correctional Center the first land battle of the Civil War in Missouri DNR marker at Lyon’s Park in Pilot Grove - July 1861 , Also raid by ”Bloody Bill” Anderson Marker at Thespian Hall – Second Battle of Boonville Sunset Hill Cemetery Boonville – mass grave of 8 Union soldiers Wilkin’s Bridge near Billingsville General J.O. Shelby and General Sanborn violent battle October 1864 Otterville Trenches – December 1861 – May 1865

FIRST PERMANENT SETTLERS The name of the first white man who set foot on the territory that is now the State of Missouri is not known, nor is it known at what period the first settlements were made. It is thought that the first settlements were made in the autumn of 1735 by the French at Saint Genevieve. Daniel Boone was 65 years old when he walked to Missouri from Kentucky in 1799. He settled in the Femme Osage country near St. Charles and spent his last 21 years in Missouri. However, Boone never lived in the area that is known today as Cooper County. On one of his hunting expeditions, Boone came into Howard County and discovered a salt spring about eight miles northwest of New Franklin. Daniel Boone’s sons established a salt works at this location. The area soon came to be known as “Boone’s Lick” and from that the whole region took its name. Hannah Cole Monument at Laura Speed Elliott School Hannah Cole s tatue and the b usts of influential Boonville citizens in the background. Morgan Street Park - Located at the corner of Main and Morgan Streets. November 6, 2005 by Wayne Lammers Wayne Lammers holding one of Hannah Cole's sons flintlock rifle, standing beside the Hannah Cole statue at Main and Morgan Streets DANIEL BOONE It has been written that Daniel Boone visited his first cousin, Stephen Cole, and Hannah Cole, widow of Stephen’s brother, William T. Cole, at the Cole's’ fort. The fort was located where the present Boonville is today. Boone died in 1820 at his home in what is now Marthasville, at the age of 86. References: In 1805 Daniel Boone, who then lived near St. Charles, discovered the Boone’s Lick Salt Springs, in Howard County, thirteen miles from Boonville, where Nathan and David Boone, his sons, settled and made salt from 1806 to 1810. This seems to have been the earliest settlement in Central Missouri, and from it an indefinite region, from St. Charles westward, on both sides of the river, was called the ‘Boone’s Lick Country.’ Other settlers followed, and as early as 1810 a small community had built and occupied Kincaid’s Fort, a few hundred yards up the river from the present site of Old Franklin (directly opposite Boonville) www.mogenweb.org/cooper , while another was established in Cooper’s Fort. Boone died in 1820 at his home in what is now Marthasville, at the age of 86. A direct descendant of Boone gave her opinions on these books on Boone, along with her critiques of them. Most can probably be found in state libraries or on Amazon, but some may only the available from a "used" book seller. Biographical Memoir of Daniel Boone by Timothy Flint. (This was written during Boone's life time --1833 and was sold as non-fiction when in fact is almost all fiction, and Daniel was very unhappy with the way it was written. Daniel Boone (The life and legend of an American Pioneer) by John Mack Faragher. This is fairly accurate book but not an easy read. My Father Daniel Boone--This is from the Draper Interviews with Nathan Boone (Daniel's youngest son) and edited by Neal O. Hammon. The Draper Interviews are believed to be very accurate and this is after all from the memory of Daniel's youngest son. Because the Draper Interviews are difficult reading and written in an "old time" style, Mr. Hammon has tried to clarify some of the language. Boone A Biography by Robert Morgan. I really like this book. It is over 450 pages but I found it to be an easy read. “The writer has obviously done a lot of research and I felt I had a better understanding of Daniel after I read this book.” Norma Johnson. EARLY LAND OWNERS Joseph Marie settled upon land in Franklin township, Howard County in 1800 . The land was sold on April 13, 1816 , to Asa Morgan in the first deed recorded in Howard County. Morgan, an early resident of Howard County, and Charles Lucas, a St. Louis resident, laid out the town of Boonville on August 1, 1817. Ira P. Nash was granted land in Howard County in 1800 . He came to the site in February, 1804, remained a month and went home. In July of the same year, Nash and four others returned and surveyed, but did not stay. THE COLE FAMILY - FIRST PERMANENT SETTLERS IN COOPER COUNTY Stephen Cole and William Temple Cole were born in New River, Virginia. They married sisters with the last name of Allison, and moved to Cumberland, Kentucky. In 1807, they came to Upper Louisiana Territory, and settled on Loutre Island, across the river from the present-day town in Hermann, Missouri, about the same time that the Coopers settled on that island. In 1810, a band of Indians stole seven horses from the Loutre Island settlers. The Cole brothers were among the volunteers that pursued the Indians. Two days into the pursuit the volunteers, while sleeping, were ambushed by Indians. William Cole and others were killed. It is written that Stephen Cole killed four Indians, wounded a fifth, and sustained 26 wounds before he escaped and found his way back to Loutre Island. A month later, Hannah Cole, widowed and almost 50, and her nine children, plus Stephen Cole, his wife Phoebe, and their five children, accompanied a group of men, led by Benjamin Cooper, on an overland Journey into the wilderness. The group arrived at a point just upriver from the present town of Boonville on the north side of the Missouri River. The Coopers decided to settle there; however, the two Cole families decided to cross the Missouri River to the south side and build their cabins on the east edge of what would later become Boonville. The families of Hannah Cole and Stephen and Phoebe Cole settled in what is now Cooper County in 1810 . At that time there were no other white Americans living in Missouri west of Franklin and south of the Missouri River. The families that settled north of the Missouri, were the Cole's nearest white neighbors, but most of these were two or three miles distant. The seventeen members of the Hannah Cole and Stephen Cole families made the first settlement in what is now Cooper County. The Coles lived for nearly two years with their closest neighbors across the Missouri River. Some of their activities included raising corn crops and tending them with a cow hitched up to a plow. In the fall and winter of 1812 other families settled nearby on the south side of the river. The first shelter they built was a cabin built of round logs notched together at the corners, ribbed with poles, and covered with boards split from trees. The one room cabin had a fireplace, puncheon floors, a clapboard door, a window, sometimes covered with greased paper, and furniture made from trees. Artist's Conception of Hannah Cole's Fort This is not the Cole Fort, as that fort was constructed in 1812-1813. This a later building built on the solid rock bluff and was also easy to defend. Barn with windlass Bluff reduced for two sets of rails in late 1870's Here is believed to be a very early photo of the stone outcropping where Hannah Cole’s Fort was located in the early 1800's in east Boonville. This image was taken by early photographer James McCurdie in the 1870's. Years later, the Boonville rock quarry would be located in that area, when the Missouri Pacific RR constructed the rails on the River Route down to Jefferson City. This railroad company had to blast away and remove much of this outcropping for the rails to continue down river. Note: The windlass to the left of the barn on top of the outcropping reaching down to the water's edge, was to supply water for the people and animals up on top. The early settlers had a similar windlass to supply water for those inside the fort that allowed them to be able to withstand the attacks of the Indians during the War of 1812. When these pictures were taken, Hannah Cole no longer lived in the old fort, as she moved farther into central Cooper County in the early 1840s and died in 1843. It is unknown at this time, who lived in the old fort after the Coles left. There does not seem to be a lot of information available about Hannah Cole. The same facts seem to be repeated over and over on various documents. However, Hannah must have been an excellent and generous leader. She opened her fort to her neighbors who were seeking safety during the buildup to and during the War of 1812. She made provisions for the children in her fort to receive an education and arranged for religious services to be conducted at the fort as early as 1811. She was evidently interested in politics and her fort was the location of the first County Seat of Howard County. The first circuit, county, and probate sessions were held there in 1816 and it was a polling place in the election of 1819. Her fort also served, at one time, as a community center, post office, hospital and a place for hunters to cast bullets for their flintlocks. In 1817 her fort became the first school house, although it is known that children in the fort were also taught during the war. She also was a business woman who was granted a license for a ferry on the Missouri River, which was operated by her sons. Reference: 1998 Wm. D. Lay In 1843, Hannah moved 13 miles south of Boonville from her fort on the bluff overlooking the Missouri River to a cabin where she lived with Lucy, her beloved slave. She died in 1843 at the age of 79, and is buried in Briscoe Cemetery near Bunceton. Sadly, very little information is available about Hannah’s sister Phoebe, and brother-in-law Stephen Cole and their family. We know that the two families traveled together to Missouri and were the first white Americans to settle on the south side of the Missouri River. Stephen supervised the building of Hannah’s and his own fort. Stephen died near Santa Fe, New Mexico when attacked by Indians. He and Hannah Cole's son (his nephew), were journeying down the Santa Fe Trail in about 1822. We do not know if there is a marked grave. Phoebe died in 1825 in Cole County, but no more information is available on her passing or her grave. We do know that some of the Cole family went to Southern Missouri. These three early settlers and their children must also have been very courageous and strong of character to venture into the unknown and make their home here. We are grateful that they did! - Barbara Dahl, Editor References: Bicentennial Boonslick History p 12-13 Cole Family Records Discover Cooper County by Ann Betteridge Talk by Bob Priddy for Cole Reunion August 9, 2020 Cole Family Association Facebook Cole Family Mysteries Cole Family Reunion, August 9, 2020 Talk given by Bob Pritty Cooper County was named after Sarshell Cooper, a relative of Steven Cole, (Hannah’s husband) and a well-known and greatly admired frontiersman, Indian fighter and War of 1812 hero. He was a friend of the Cole family and is the one who originally showed the Coles the best place to cross the Missouri River. We may wonder why Cooper County was not named Cole County, honoring the first white family to set foot on the South side of the Missouri River. Possibly, a reason may have been that Hannah Cole, the leader of the group, was a woman, and in the 1800’s, women were not credited as leaders or founders of anything. But, honoring Sarshell Cooper was a wonderful way to recognize a true American hero who was well known in the area. There is a Cole County in Missouri, which was established November 16, 1820, and named after Stephen Cole, Hannah’s brother-in-law. He was a lawyer, originally from Virginia. He was also a Justice of the Peace in Missouri, and laid out the original Howard County seat in Franklin, and a member of the Legislature. He was highly regarded in Missouri. He was an early trader on the Santa Fe trail and he and his nephew, also named Stephen Cole, were killed by Navajo Indians near Albuquerque, New Mexico. Cole County is the site of the State Capitol of Missouri. Source: Bob Priddy Mike Dickey wrote the following after reading Mr. Priddy's talk: I would advocate that Bob’s Priddy's article be posted in total if possible on the section of the Cole family/Cole Fort. It is about the best detective work regarding the Cole dilemma that I have seen. Something Bob Priddy said is key to interpreting the whole Territorial – War of 1812 period: “oral history, while valuable, can be flawed.” It is extremely difficult to tie down many events and family histories during this period. Governor Lewis ordered the Coopers out of the Boonslick in 1808 because it was still un-ceded Indian territory. From the federal governments point of view, the Boonslick would now be open for settlement regardless of claims to the region by the Sac & Fox and Ioway. I have not checked the Missouri Gazette for an announcement of the ratification, but it is quite possible that it was several weeks before the news made it to St. Louis and then Loutre Island. Thus, a move by the Cole family from the Loutre settlement to the Boonslick in July or later of 1810 would make far more sense than February 1810 (not to mention the weather). The Osage signed the land cession treaty on November 10, 1808. Congress ratified the treaty April 28, 1810.