SEARCH RESULTS

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

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

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

SANTA FE TRAIL 1821 (1821) William Becknell left Franklin, Missouri, pioneering the route that would become the Santa Fe Trail. “The new nation of Mexico (receiving independence from Spain in 1821 reversed Spain’s ban on trade with the United States. Taking advantage of this new commerce, Missouri trader William Becknell and 20 men with trade goods left Franklin on an 800-mile journey to Santa Fe. By 1824 , the trail was well established and trade continued between the white settlers and the Mexicans and Indians in the Southwest for the next 24 years. Independence would eventually become the starting point on this hard and dangerous journey. Yet, there was much to be gained by the trade route. Mexican silver stimulated the Missouri economy. And, the Mexican burro was introduced to German settlements by way of the trail. German settlers mated their Belgian draft horses with the burro to produce the true Missouri mule”. The Santa Fe Trail can be thought of as America’s first commercial highway, covering about 800 miles across Missouri and the Great Plains. The route connected Santa Fe, New Mexico with the newly formed state of Missouri. The trail head started in Old Franklin, Mo, then on to Arrow Rock to Independence Missouri, ending the journey in Santa Fe New Mexico. Much of the trail follows the Missouri River. William Bucknell pioneered the trail in 1821 with the idea of opening up new markets for Missouri goods. This was a very active trail until 1880 when the railroad arrived in Santa Fe. Courtesy of: Missouri Bicentennial Timeline The Santa Fe Trail, Pre-1821 to 1850 The Santa Fe Trail was first officially started when William Becknell left Franklin, Missouri in September 1821 with a small group of men. Becknell had made a series of bad business deals, was deep in debt and facing jail time if his debts were not paid soon. In May 1821 Becknell advertised in the Missouri Intelligencer for men to go with him on the trip. In August of the same year a meeting was held in the home of Ezekiel Williams. There were 17 people at the meeting. The Becknell party left on 1 September 1821 and arrived in Santa Fe on 16 November the same year. While on their trip they were met by a troop of Mexican soldiers who informed them that Mexico had gained its independence from Spain and that they would be welcomed in Santa Fe. The group left Franklin with $300 worth of trade goods and returned with $6000 in silver. This excursion was not without risks. There had been several who had made the same trek only to have bad outcomes. In 1804 Baptist Leland went to Santa Fe but did not come back. In 1805 James Pursely also went to Santa Fe but did not come back. In 1806 Zebulon Pike went as a government agent. He pretended he was lost, and the Mexican government took him prisoner to Chihuahua for 6 months. In 1812 Robert McKnight, James Baird and Samuel Chambers with 10-12 others made the trip. They were arrested and kept 9 years in Chihuahua. In 1817 August Pierre Choteau made the trip and he was arrested in Santa Fe. The group headed back to Franklin on 13 December. Only one of the four who came with Becknell on the initial trip to Santa Fe was in the return trip. Becknell’s second trip to Santa Fe left Franklin on 22 May 1822 with 21 men and 3 wagonloads of goods worth $3000. They returned earning $91,000. Becknell’s third trip as a member of a party of 81 men, 25 wagons, 200 horses and mules and $30,000 of trade goods yielded $180,000 in silver coin and $10,000 in fur pelts. Two main routes developed early to traverse the trail. The northern, more mountains route took about 77 days to travel. The southern or Cimarron route took a few days less to travel. Sometimes wagons had to be taken apart to go over mountainous areas and put back together. Wagons broke down and soon parts were strewn along the trail. The Cimarron route was smoother but was called the Journey of death by the Mexicans because it was so dry. Summers could be hot and dry on both routes and winters could be so full of snow and ice and bitter cold. Rivers could be flooded or completely dried up. Problems such as dust storms, gnat swarms, rattle snakes, buffalo stampedes, etc., always made for a hazardous trip. Indian raids became more of a problem the larger the trade trips became. After a while, wagons took the place of pack horses/mules because they could haul more goods. The Cimarron route was 865 miles in length and 75% of the trade took place through that route. The Northern route was 909 miles in length and 25% of the trade took place through that route. Up until the Mexican American War in 1847 , international trade both ways took place. Then in 1848-1850 trade was national in nature as New Mexico became a United States Territory. The first wagons used on the trail were farm-type wagons. Then as the volume of trade goods increased Conestoga-type wagons from Pennsylvania became the norm. Later the Conestoga-type wagons were built in Missouri. Benefits of the Trail: The profits that were brought back added needed money into Missouri and Boonslick economies; The Trail opened the way for the California gold rush and the Oregon Trails; Facilitated westward movement of people all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Probably helped enable New Mexico to become a territory, and then a state. Although the Santa Fe Trail did not originate in Cooper County, many of the supplies needed for the Trail came from Cooper County merchants and manufacturers. After the 1827-28 floods, Westward trade in Boonville was greatly increased. Although the trade route brought new population and businesses to Cooper County, many people left the County to participate in the trade opportunities in Santa Fe and/or the California Gold Rush, and decided to stay in California, Oregon, or Washington. While the Becknell group weren’t the only ones looking for a better trade route to Santa Fe, they were the first to arrive there. Many such trips followed by Becknell and others. Because of William Becknell’s efforts to open the trail, he is known as the “Father of the Santa Fe Trail.” Sources: History.com , Encyclopedia Britannica , Wikipedia , Ann Betteridge Source: Ray Glendenning, South Howard County Historical Society researcher. References : Santa Fe National Historic Trail : Although the NPS map does not show the trail in Cooper County, we do know some traders were from Cooper County and trading parties left on occasion from Boonville after purchasing supplies. Wikipedia - Excellent article and map. Boone’s Lick Road Association - Excellent information on their website. The Boone’s Lick Road Association (BLRA), incorporated in Missouri in 2011, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mission is twofold: First, we want to preserve and tell the fascinating stories of the first major road into the heart of Missouri. Secondly, we hope to secure federal recognition of this road as a National Historic Trail. We aim to be the most comprehensive and authoritative source for information and research into this historic trail. Other References: Santa Fe Trail: Author's Journey Missouri Stories from the Santa Fe Trail The Santa Fe Trail: A Guide (Hal Jackson) by Hal Jackson and Marc Simmons Commerce of the Prairies (University of Nebraska) by Josiah Gregg Kit Carson’s Autobiography (University of Nebraska) edited by Milton Milo Quaife Matt Field on the Santa Fe Trail (University of Oklahoma) edited by Mae Reed Porter and Clyde Field Down the Santa Fe Trail and Into Mexico, the Diary of Susan Shelby Magoffin (University of Nebraska) edited by Stella Drumm Original Conestoga Wagon – Wayne Lammers' Collection Modern-Day Conestoga Wagon South Howard County Historical Society

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

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

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

COMMUNITIES THAT NEVER HAD TRAINS BELLAIR Bellair was an unincorporated community on Route 5, approximately 10 miles south-southwest of Boonville. It was founded in the 1840's by T.P. Bell and was named for him. A post office called Bellair was established in 1864, and was closed in 1906. At one time Bellaire was a busy, thriving town with a school, a lovely Methodist Church (which is still standing), and many small businesses. It is the home of the historic “Ravenswood” mansion owned by the Leonard family. BROWNTOWN Browntown was a community on Mr. Brown’s property and the only residents were Black families. Nothing is visible there today. BUFFALO PRAIRIE Buffalo Prairie has some Indian mounds, fertile ground and once was a home to many buffalo. The remains of the buffalo wallows can still be seen today. An early settler, in the 1860's, was Dr. William Harriman who built a home for his family where he practiced medicine and lived the rest of his life. At one time the small town had a post office and a school and was noted for its agricultural products. CHOUTEAU SPRINGS or Sulphur Springs This area near Pilot Grove was a busy mineral bath and resort that operated on and off from the 1840's until 1962, when it closed. The 40 acres of land includes three Sulphur, and two clear water springs. It was part of a grant of over 28,000 acres made to Pierre Chouteau in 1792 by the Osage Indians. The resort was opened in 1846. Much of the resort was destroyed during the Civil War. After the War was over, people sold the spring water to make money on the supposed health properties from the mineral springs. After the railroad came to the area in 1873, people could take the train to Chouteau, get off the train at St. Martin's and take a "hack" to the hotel and resort. In 1900 the park was purchased by Eugene Windsor, who added new cottages, a swimming pool and other improvements. This was a very popular resort until the 1950's when it became badly in need of repair and was closed to the pubic in 1962. The springs still continue to flow to this day. CLEAR CREEK Clear Creek is named after the clear water that runs through the area. The land in this area is believed to be some of the most productive in the County. It is located within walking distance of Pilot Grove. Philip Meisenheimer ran an early general store and his wife had a variety store. Theodore Twenter made wooden coffins for local people. A church was built on land donated by Lawrence Sommers. In 1884 another church was built in the same area. Bertram Felten, the first teacher in the area, taught school in the log cabin of Father Mears. In 1893, a frame school building was built. The next school was completed in 1918. Today only a few homes and a church remain. JOLLY’S BOTTOM Jolly's Bottom was settled in 1812 by Joseph Jolly. He started the first apple orchard in the County and built a horse-mill that would grind a bushel of corn in one hour. He was a gunsmith, wheelwright, cooper, miller, distiller, preacher, doctor and farmer. He served in the War of 1812 and made gunpowder for the settlers. He had a ferry crossing the Lamine River bottoms, and later one that crossed the Missouri River. He weighed about 450 pounds but was known as a “jolly” man. OVERTON Overton is opposite Rocheport on the Missouri River. After the loss of the steamboat trade in the 1880’s and 90’s, the town moved to its present location near the base of the bluffs near the railroad tracks. It is named after the Overton family who operated an early ferry there. Overton was eventually flooded by the Missouri River and is now a wildlife preserve. PRARIE HOME Prairie Home started as a small store on the prairie on the stage coach line from Boonville to Jefferson City. A town was formed around it and it is still a busy little community. NOTE: There were many very small settlements that existed for a short time, but later died out. Their names will be found on the list of towns that had a post office for a very short time, or a list of towns that NEVER had a post office. Information about these towns seems to be nonexistent except for their names.

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS All of our volunteers spent a great deal of time and effort researching their topics. The website is much stronger and more interesting because of everyone’s contributions. We owe a special debt of gratitude to Michael Dickey, Arrow Rock Historic Site Manager, and Wayne Lammers of Lammer’s Video Productions for the generous donation of their time, knowledge, suggestions, articles, references and pictures. Carolyn Aggeler – History of Clifton City, Otterville area, pictures, other help Jenny Alpers – our “Gopher” to check on facts and find information Dr. Christine Boston – Research on the Don Carlos Family Linda Burnett – Cooper County stage coaches Kathleen McIntyre Conway – Archivist. Friends of Historic Boonville – research materials available through FOHB Don Cullimore – information about Cooper County and the Boonslick area. Barbara Dahl – Coordinator, Editor, Primary researcher, and Website layout. Elizabeth Davis – Typist and contributor of many of her original and syndicated articles Sue Day – Took inventory of everything in the Research Center – a huge job, and made multiple copies of things, provided links and made many phone calls. Mike Dickey – Historic Site Manager, Arrow Rock, Boone’s Lick, Sappington Cemetery and Sappington African American Cemetery State Historic Sites - Information and References on the Prehistoric Cooper County, history of early American Indians in the Cooper County area, and the War of 1812. He is a fantastic resource. Kim Dickerson – Hannah Cole information Georgia Esser – Cooper County Recorder of Deeds John Finley – information on MO Circuit Riders and Methodist Churches in Cooper County Florence (Winky) Friedrichs – shared many ideas and resources, including "Cooper County Church Sketches “Old Pleasant Green Underground” and other historical information. Tracy and Ashley Friedrich – Videos by @FarmAlarm. Boonville YouTubers Jeanette Heaton – History of early Schools in Cooper County, the founding of the CCHS, and extensive information on the New Lebanon church, school and businesses Rhea Helmreich – Location and History of early Churches in Cooper County Bill Herder and LinAnn Townsend – Location and History of early Cemeteries in Cooper County - extensive research Pat Holmes – Kemper Academy, Historic Homes, National Register information Norma Johnson - Daniel Boone information - a direct descendant of Boone Harold Kerr II – Military research (many links and references) early forts and railroads Cleo Kottwicz – information on Missouri Methodist Circuit Riders (mid to late 1800’s) Wayne Lammers - Missouri River, Missouri Packet, 200-year-old excavation; KATY Railroad and Bridge, McMahan Fort and it's burning in 1814. Supplied many pictures and invaluable assistance Edward Lang – contributed pictures and videos for the website Nancy Martin – information on Dick’s Mill Bert McClary – County Personalities, Civil War and orphan trains Dr. Maryellen McVicker – David Barton Tombstone restoration, information sources, contacts and encouragement Vicki McCarrell – Historic homes and buildings over 100 years old in Cooper County Linda McCollum – information on the Lamine School Eric McNeil – Civil War Section Bob Painter – Agriculture, Steam Engines and the auto Bridges over the Missouri River Robert Painter – Hannah Cole information Linda Perkins – Old Swinging Bridge near the Lamine School Bonnie Rapp – Mozarkite information Leola Ripperger – List of trusted Genealogy websites David Sapp – Boonslick Road Association Other than the website designers, Lisa Moody and Laci Scott, this website has been researched and prepared entirely by volunteers. THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS Alliant Bank Jenny Alpers Miss Alice Amick Anonymous Boonville Abstract & Title Co. Mae Bruce BTC Bank Community Foundation of Central MO COMO Electric Cooperative Cooper County Animal Hospital Copies Etcetera for Scanning & Printing Barbara and Bob Dahl Krista Dahl Jeppsen Paul and Debbie Davis Derendinger Furniture LLC Dr. Scott Fray Diane Gorski Florence Friedrichs Heartland Electrical & Plumbing Jeanette Heaton Rhea Helmrich Ivan Hendrickson Isle of Capri Casino & Hotel Boonville Nancy Martin Jerry Ann Mayfield Dr, W.R & Dr. M.H. McVicker Lewis w. & Susan C. Miller Missouri State Historical Society Dave Muntzel Otelco Santa Fe Lawns Twenter Trucking John and Nancy Ward

EARLY SCHOOLS Lamine School Dick's Mill School New Lebanon School Adapted from Discover Cooper County by Looking Back by Ann Betteridge The first children to live in Cooper County were native Americans and lived in villages near the rivers. People are still discovering arrowheads, tools, pottery, and other artifacts near the village sites. Their way of life was passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. The education of a native American child included gardening, hunting, preparing food and gathering nuts. They learned from the older people in the village how to hunt and make and use the tools they needed. Prior to 1839 all schools in Cooper County were private. Before public schools were available, parents could send their children to a local private school or some type of boarding school. Often these early schools were for either girls or boys, but usually not for both. Often these schools had wonderful educational offerings, but some of the headmasters did not have good money management skills and some of the private schools were short lived. However, they did provide the need for “higher” education. SCHOOL LEGISLATION (1820) Missouri’s First Constitution Missouri’s first constitution provided that “one school or more shall be established in each township, as soon as practicable and necessary, where the poor shall be taught gratis”. Even at that early day the framers of the constitution made provisions for at least a primary education for all children. (1835) The Act of 1835 (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) The Act of 1835 , approved by the Missouri General Assembly and signed by the governor, established a Board of Commissioners, the forerunner of the State Board of Education to provide at least six months of school in each term with the expenses paid from the county school fund. A county by a two-thirds majority could tax itself for school purposes. All schools prior to the year 1839 , when the public-school system was established were private. At this time there was a common school fund, and the county school fund. (1875 ) Following the Civil War, the courts have weighed in on the decision of admission of Black students to receive an equal education as white students. An early case began in 1887 when a Grundy County teacher refused to admit an African-American student to a white school that had previously welcomed all races. While the issue was debated in court, the Missouri legislature passed a law ordering separate schools for children “of African descent.” Missouri schools were officially segregated from 1875 to 1954 , when the US Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Brown v. the Board of Education. The Missouri Supreme Court’s ruling in 1889 stated that segregated schools were not in conflict with the U.S. Constitution. African-American students outside of schools with teacher, 1916 circa, A. T. Peterson, photographer, (C3888) State Historical Society of Missouri. (1889) Missouri's General Assembly passed legislation ordering separate schools for children "of African descent." (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) Following the Civil War, the courts have weighed in on the decision of admission of Black students to receive an equal education as white students. An early case began in 1887 when a Grundy County teacher refused to admit an African-American student to a white school that had previously welcomed all races. While the issue was debated in court, the Missouri legislature passed a law ordering separate schools for children “of African descent.” The Missouri Supreme Court’s ruling in 1889 stated that segregated schools were not in conflict with the U.S. Constitution. Sumner School was built for the black students in the community. That changed in 1959 when desegregation became law and all students went to the same school. Public schools mostly remained segregated until the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 . (1955 ) In the beginning of the 1955 school year Missouri began to integrate their schools and admitted students on a non-discriminatory basis. When school boards were free to desegregate their schools, a number of districts immediately made plans for mixed schools, and numerous small and medium-sized towns in every section of the state desegregated part or all of their schools when the 1954-55 term began in September. Board of Education (1954 ), Missouri Attorney General announced that Missouri's school segregation laws were void. Court-ordered desegregation began in Missouri, attempting to alleviate the racial isolation of black students. The court determined that the State of Missouri was required to pay half of the cost of school desegregation plans; numerous legal issues arose. Black schools were closed. Some were used for other purposes and some were left vacant. PRIVATE COOPER COUNTY ACADEMIES, INSTITUTES, and SEMINARIES ACADEMIES: Boonville Academy - located at northeast corner of Sixth and Vine, 1880-1895; The Otterville Academy - 1891-1907; Pilot Grove Academy, 1907-? INSTITUTES: Adelphai College, aka Female Collegiate Institute - located at Fourth and Vine, 1841-1864. Was a hospital during the Civil War Kemper Male Collegiate Institute 1844 – 2002 (fix) Cooper County Institute by Rev. Buckner, Baptist Minister 1891-1893 Prairie Home Institute , 1865- 1869 Cully & Simpson’s Institute , 3 miles northeast of Bunceton, 1866-? Hooper Institute , 1876 - 1909, at Clarksburg Cooper Institute - located at Sixth and Locust, 1891-1896 Parrish Institute , Bunceton, first public school, D.R. Cully 1866-?- The Pilot Grove Collegiate College , 1878-1915. Also known later as Eichelberger Academy SEMINARIES: New Lebanon Seminary Boonville Female Seminary aka Pleasant Retreat 1840-1876, Rev. Bell, Presbyterian minister, founded the Seminary, Megquire Seminary for Girls , located at Sixth and Locust, 1892-1905 After the Civil War, public schools started to became available, allowing many more children to acquire a good education. EARLY BOONVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Hannah Cole’s Fort , John Savage taught 15 boys in 1813 Boonville Free White School , 1867 Sumner School for Black children. Located in Boonville at Jackson and Rural Streets, 1868-1956 1878 a large public school, 1 black school, 2 male schools, 2 female schools Today, there are only three of the original one-room schools still in existence. The New Lebanon School in New Lebanon, Dick’s Mill School in Cotton and the Lamine School on the border between Pettis County and Cooper County. By Jeanette Heaton By Linda McCollum PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS St. Joseph Catholic, Pilot Grove 1900 to present Sts. Peter and Paul, Boonville 1910 to present St. Martin’s Catholic School, closed 1967 St. John’s School, Clear Creek, closed 1969 Zion Lutheran School, Lone Elm 1896 to present The first school in Cooper County was taught by John Savage in the year 1813 , about one mile east of Boonville on Lilly’s Branch. There were fifteen boys enrolled. The classes were mostly held outside, with the pupils sitting on logs. The school continued only one month. The fear of an Indian attack caused the settlers to keep their children under the protection of the fort. Some of the earliest schools in Cooper County were taught by: William Anderson , in 1817 , near Concord church; Andrew Reavis, in 1818 , about 1-3/4 miles east of Boonville; James Donaldson , in the southeastern part of the county; Judge L. C. Stephens at “Old Nebo” Church; Dr. William Moore in Palestine township; and Rollins , near Big Lick. Some early schools were held in churches. Early Schoolhouses These schools were held in log school houses. Some did not have any floor but the earth. Others had puncheon floors which were made with rough timber underneath and a flat cut side on top. The windows had no sashes and were made by cutting pieces out of the logs. These openings were closed with a plank at night to keep out the wild animals. Teachers were very strict. They used the principle that “to spare the rod was to spoil the child.” Just as neighbors worked together to build their homes, and churches, they worked together to build the schoolhouse. People would come on a certain day with their cutting axes. The trees were cut, the ends of each log were notched and put in place to form the four walls. Some of the roofs were made of clapboards, which were split logs dressed so one edge was thicker than the other edge. Light from the window came through oiled paper. The chimney was made of small pieces of wood held together with a mortar of sand, limestone, water and clay. This sometimes would dry out, become loose, and fall out of place, letting strong winds pass through, and causing smoke to come into the room. In most cultures, parents want their children to learn basic skills for living, plus hopefully to learn more than their parents to enable them to be successful in life. Many of the early settlers were well educated and felt it important for their children to learn to read and write and to do simple math problem. Those families living in Cole’s Fort certainly though so, and classes were held to teach the children reading, writing and arithmetic. Whether Hannah Cole was a teacher, we have no idea. But at least one person was in charge of educating young people. After the War of 1812 was over several well-educated men served as teachers From 1813 through 1820 , Judge Abiel Leonard, William H. Moore and Dr. Edward Lawton taught the boys and girls of early settlers who lived in Boonville. Missouri’s first constitution provided that “one school or more shall be established in each township, as soon as practiceable and necessary, where the poor shall be taught gratis.” Even at that early day the framers of the constitution made provisions for at least a primary education for all children. Subscription Schools Subscription schools were held until the organization of public schools. A teacher desiring a school to teach at would go to the families in the neighborhood and have the parents subscribe (which means enroll) so many pupils, for a certain term, at so much per month. Schools were then known as subscription schools. All schools prior to the year 1839 , when the public-school system was established, were private. At this time there was a common school fund, the County school fund, and the township school fund. A subscription school was held in the Greenwood district, near Pisgah, in a small house built by Mrs. Guyer for the Methodist Church. It was used both as a school and a church. About 1887 there was an effort made to divide the district. The Pisgah people said that they did not want to send their children to Greenwood, because the children there carried ticks, and the Greenwood neighborhood came back at them with the argument that the Pisgah children had fleas. The disagreement between the two schools became so heated that in the last part of the year the district was divided. Public Schools Most public schools did not begin until sometime after the townships were organized in 1847 . The organization of public schools took place in the county after the Civil War. In 1853 school laws were revised to provide for dividing the school townships into districts, thus bringing the governing of the schools to the people in the districts. In 1855 a course of study for schools was started by the State Superintendent. Other laws through the years helped to determine the progress of Cooper County Schools. It is interesting to look back on the one-room country schools. As the years passed, log school houses became dilapidated. Some were destroyed by fire. The log houses were replaced by frame buildings. The first one-room school buildings were very small. They were about 16 feet square, with only one window on each wall. Students wrote on slates and sat on wood benches. Books were expensive, so students shared them. The buildings eventually became larger and had three or four windows in opposite walls and one or two doors in one end. The windows had eight or twelve panes of glass. The blackboard was part of the wall, painted or made of slate and placed about thirty inches from the floor and about four feet wide along the wall opposite the door. White or colored chalk was used for writing on the blackboard. The students used their wooden slates and slate pencil to work arithmetic problems, to spell words, or to draw pictures, especially of the teacher. Use of slates saved money because paper tablets were scarce and expensive. Damp cloths were used to erase work on the slates. Inside the Schools Inside the schools, chimneys were made of brick and built inside, at the end of the room. A stove that burned either wood or coal heated the room. The desks used in the frame buildings were called double desks because of their width. Two or three students could be seated at one desk. They were usually placed in a row facing the front of the room. The front and back seats had straight backs and seats which were attached with hinges and could be raised for passing or lowered for sitting. The other seats had a shelf fastened to the back of them. Underneath the shelf was a metal box which formed an open compartment in which books, tablets, slates and pencils could be kept. The wooden shelf provided a place for holding books while studying or writing. In the middle or in the upper left-hand corner of the wooden shelf there was often a small round opening into which was placed a small glass container to hold ink, which was called an ink well. In the first schools the teacher’s desk was often a table. Later the desks were like those found in offices today. Kerosene lamps were used for lighting in early schools. The lamps were later replaced with gas lamps which could be hung from the ceiling. Teaching Aids Teaching aids were usually a globe of the world and maps of the countries. There were not very many libraries in the early schools. Books were eventually purchased as the need arose. Missouri began to encourage supplementary reading about 1930 by awarding Reading Circle Certificates to students who read the designated number of prescribed books during the year. The state encouraged a study of famous artists and their works by assigning a special study each month. Many of the districts purchased these as an aid for teaching art. Some schools had sand boxes used to create scenes of different places in the sand box. When music was added to the curriculum, pianos and Victrola’s became a part of the equipment. Some of the schools had rhythm band instruments. Other Important Items Students living a distance from school often rode a horse to school. Two or three children in one family might ride in a one-seat buggy. Sometimes small barns were built by the parents or the school board to shelter the horses. Districts sometimes had small buildings located near the schoolhouse in which wood, coal, or kindling were kept. Two important buildings were the “privies.” They were about four feet by six feet, located in the opposite far corners of the school yard. School Entertainment Before the coming of television or the automobile, the early rural schools had their own form of entertainment. The parents of the district came in buggies, wagons, on horseback and on foot to take part in the school’s activities. Books were pushed back inside desks while parents and students met with nearby districts for an exciting afternoon or evening to display their skills and compete with friends. Some of the special events were: box suppers, ciphering matches, spelling bees, and celebrating the holidays. Besides being a form of entertainment, the pie suppers were fund raisers. At the event, women and girls would bring boxed suppers to the school. They would display them on a table, and an auctioneer would sell them to the men and boys. Besides buying their supper, the buyers had the privilege of eating the meal with the lady who had cooked it. The money would go to the school. Some suppers sold for a good price because two or more bidders wanted to eat with the same cook. School programs were well attended by parents and friends. The Christmas season was a highlight of the rural school. Before the program, the older boys with the help of one of the fathers, found and cut a cedar tree and stood it in one corner of the schoolroom. The wonderful smell of cedar filled the air. It was decorated with strands of popcorn and homemade ornaments. At the close of the much-rehearsed program, Santa made his appearance handing out gifts to the children. The teacher usually gave each child a sack of candy as a treat. In later years of the rural schools, P.T.A. meetings were well attended with students presenting a form of entertainment each month. There was a lot of cooperation and friendliness throughout the district as many of the older citizens took part and all shared in the refreshments at the end of the meeting. The last-day-of-school program was an important event held by the pupils and their teacher. An outside picnic was usually held after the program. School Activities In the early schools of Cooper County, the subjects taught were reading, writing, arithmetic, geography and English grammar. They were listed in order of their importance. One time not mentioned was perhaps the favorite time for students--recess period. Most of the games played in the earlier years were those requiring no equipment. The students were resourceful by bringing some things from home such as a ball made of string, something that served as a bat, and bean bags. In the winter, skates and sleds were put to use. In later years, more playground equipment was provided such as swings, teeter-totters, basketballs and nets, volley balls, and bats and balls. Some of the playground games were: Hide-and-Seek, Anti-Over, Drop the Handkerchief, Kick the Wicket, Flying Dutchman, King of the Mountain, Calico, Keep Away, Circle Ball, Leapfrog, Follow the Leader, Dodge Ball, Run Sheep Run, Ten Steps, Wood Tag, Rope Jumping, Going to Jerusalem, Rotten Egg, Dare Base, Blackman, Crack the Whip, Three Deep, Stink Base, Red Rover, Sheep In My Pen and relay races. Some of the school room games were: Simon Says, Upset the Fruit Basket, Whisper Cross Questions, Clap In and Clap Out, I Say Stoop, Hide the Thimble, Beanbag Toss, Spin the Platter, Tic Tac Toe, Teakettle, Blind Man’s Bluff and Charades. Singing games were: Needle’s Eye, Looby Loo, Farmer in the Dell, Round and Round the Village, Mulberry Bush, Did You Ever See a Lassie? and Sally Saucer. Rural Schools Teaching in a one-room school was hard work. The teacher had to be in good health and physical shape. The teacher’s first job was to build a fire in the stove and sweep the schoolhouse and outhouses. If a student was sick or hurt, the teacher acted as the school nurse. In a country school, the youngest children could be five or six years old and the oldest might be eighteen years old. In order to help everyone, teachers divided their time between groups. Sometimes the busy teacher would ask older children to help the younger students. In some schools, the teacher would teach the “three R’s” to small groups of students with equal ability, but teach other things, like nature study, to all ages. During the late 1940’s and 50’s all of the rural schools were consolidated into larger districts. These rural schools are now past history. Memories still remain by those who were a part of them. School Districts The County now has six school districts. They are: Blackwater R-2 Reorganized School District Boonville R-1 Reorganized School District Bunceton R-4 Reorganized School District Otterville R-6 Reorganized School District Pilot Grove C-4 Consolidated School District Prairie Home R-5 Reorganized School District The three parochial schools in the county are: St. Joseph Catholic School in Pilot Grove Saint Peter and Paul Catholic School in Boonville Zion Lutheran School in Lone Elm BLACKWATER SCHOOLS The first school, according to the John Racy diary, was in an upstairs room about midway down the east side of Main Street. There were 15 pupils and the teacher was Miss Mollie Plummer. The children were fascinated by the trains that passed by on the new shiny tracks. The teacher would allow the pupils to go to the windows and watch the trains as they passed by. Later, a subscription school was started and taught by Mrs. Riley Holman. Parents provided room and board for the teacher with each family taking their turn. A building was moved from the Franklin District, south of town, and it was used as a public school building. As school attendance increased, another building was built and the old building was used for the black pupils until the spring of 1937 , when a new brick building was built for the black children. Blackwater maintained a high school for nearly 30 years. In 1946 the high school was closed and pupils were transported to the school of their choice, in Pilot Grove, Boonville or Nelson. BOONVILLE SCHOOLS In 1817 Hannah Cole’s Fort had a schoolhouse. Before the Civil War there were few public schools. Children received their education in private schools, institutes and academies. Approximately 20 of these began in Boonville. In 1867 , a two-story building located on Sixth Street at the present site of Central School, was purchased. The first public school opened here in September 1867 and Sumner School was opened for Black children. A new high school building was completed in September 1915 . It is now known as Laura Speed Elliott Middle School. When the new high school was completed, Central School became an elementary school, but the high school continued to play basketball in the gymnasium. On March 28, 1938 , the Board of Education decided on a three-point program for building: phase one was to build a 16-room elementary school building; phase two was the building of a combination auditorium-gymnasium just south of the high school building, and to complete some remodeling of the present high school. Phase three was to build a new Sumner School. The new Central School building was completed for the opening of school in the fall of 1939 . The new Sumner School was completed by December 20, 1939 . On December 21, 1954 , the Board of Education decided to end segregation in the high school effective September 1, 1955 . At a board meeting May 15, 1956 , the decision was made to end segregation in the first grade beginning with the 1958-59 school year. The Board made the decision April 3, 1958 , to fully integrate during the 1958-59 school year when David Barton School was completed. At a special election on May 16, 1964 , the Boonville School District and 16 other school districts (Wooldridge, Lone Elm, Clear Springs, Westwood, Hickory Grove, Billingsville, Mount Sinai, Stony Point, Concord, Bluffton, Hail Ridge, Crab Orchard, Fairview, Pleasant Valley, Woodland and Highland) voted to form a reorganized district to be known as Cooper County School District R-1. BUNCETON SCHOOLS The first school in Bunceton was known as Parrish Institute. It was named in honor of Thomas J. Parrish, who donated the land in 1871 . This was a private school taught by D. R. Culley, O. F. Arnold and Mr. Boyer. Boys and girls attending wore a neat and becoming uniform. From the private school came Bunceton Public School. The district was organized in 1885 and divided into two sections. All south of Main Street was known as Franklin and all north of Main Street was known as Dublin Spring. The Dublin school was one mile north of town. The two districts continued until 1903 , when Parrish Institute was purchased by Bunceton and changed to a public school. On May 12, 1903 , a bond was approved to build a brick building for white students and make necessary improvements on the old building for black children. By the fall of 1916 , four years of high school were offered. Students from the rural areas made their own arrangements for transportation to and from school. Some had to move to Bunceton and stay during the winter, or make arrangements to board with someone. In 1937 , the brick building was destroyed by fire. School was carried on in different buildings and homes in town. In 1937 , a new building was built east of town on Highway J and Fairview Street. The first class to graduate from this building was in 1939 . OTTERVILLE SCHOOLS Before 1926 , children attended school in several area one-room schools. These were elementary schools in grades one through eight, with one teacher per building. Children rode to school in a horse-and-buggy, a wagon or walked. As these were only elementary schools, parents who could afford the tuition sent their children to high school at the Otterville College, built in 1885 . Country students who attended the college were boarded with townspeople during the week due to the lack of transportation. Heads of family keeping boarders, were required to cooperate with the faculty in enforcing obedience to all requirements of the school and report behavior. Boys and girls were in separate classes within the two-story building. Each had their own classrooms, entrances and set of stairways. The college was closed in 1910 ; the building is now privately owned. The old building is located across the street from the Otterville Public School. The first public school building was built in 1869 at a cost of $6,000. This building now houses the Masonic Lodge. The property to the north of the Baptist Church and the present American Legion, housed the elementary classes. In 1926, a two-story brick building was built and all the grades were moved to this building. The district was consolidated with rural districts: County Line, Brick, Mt. Etna and Cline. Free tuition in the district was given for the first time in 1931 . PILOT GROVE SCHOOLS The Pilot Grove Collegiate College was first established as a private school by the Rev. George Eichelberger in 1878 . In August 1879 , Professor Charles Newton Johnson organized a company, and the school was bought by H. W. Harris. On July 18, 1881 , Harris deeded the school to the company, then incorporated, and the name was changed to the Pilot Grove Collegiate Institute. After the death of Newton Johnson, the management was taken over by his brother, William F. Johnson. During his management, on January 31, 1885 , the building caught fire due to a defective flue and was completely burned. In 1888 , Professor Charles Foster and D. L. Roe purchased the rebuilt brick school. These two men conducted it for several years. The school was finally sold back to Andrew Eichelberger, father of the founder, and rented to different men. In 1900 , the school closed at the beginning of the second term. In March, 1902 , Mr. C. L. Buckmaster bought the building with the help of the community. He named the school Pilot Grove Academy. The school closed sometime around 1915 . It is interesting to learn of the discipline of the academy. “Students must not, under any circumstances, enter saloons, billiard halls, nor engage in games of chance or practice the use of tobacco. Students are required to attend Sunday School and church every Sunday.” After Pilot Grove became a town in 1873 , the townspeople became interested in starting a school. There was no building, so Professor Tucker, of Boonville, opened a subscription school upstairs in a small room over a drug store. There was a need for a new school in Pilot Grove. The directors for the new school purchased the Methodist Episcopal Church South. After the school burned in 1903 , a brick two-story building was built on the site. Overcrowding was soon a problem. In 1919 , the first and second grades had to be housed in a blacksmith shop. The school kept growing, so grounds were purchased from A. H. Eichelberger. This plot later became the site of the present school buildings. In 1921 , a building was constructed on the present school site. The class of 1921 was the first to graduate from this building. PRAIRIE HOME SCHOOLS People in the Prairie Home area were concerned because there wasn’t a place in the community where the children could receive an education beyond the elementary school level. Because of this concern people in the community, headed by the Reverend A. H. Misseldine, combined their knowledge and hard work to form what was to become known as the Prairie Home Institute in 1865 , north of the present city limits. This Institute made it possible for its students to expand their minds and take subjects that otherwise would have been impossible. The students were taught algebra, science and literature. Later Latin, music and other subjects were added. The Institute was sold to the Public School District in 1869 . The school was sold once more, in May 1871 , to Professor A. Slaughter. Slaughter planned for it to be a boarding school for both boys and girls. The school grew and prospered for three years until it burned in 1874 . The people in the community worked together to build a new school which was completed in April 1875 . The new building had a housing capacity for 75 boarders. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, the Institute was closed. Prairie Home High School was established in 1913 and was located in the Masonic Temple building. Two students graduated in 1914 . From the time the school was established in 1922 , students graduated from the two-year program, then had to attend the remaining two years of high school in either Boonville or California. In 1922 , the school was accredited as a four-year institution. ST. JOSEPH’S SCHOOL - PILOT GROVE Father Pius made arrangements with several Benedictine Sisters to establish a convent and school, with the approval of Bishop John J. Hogan. In 1900, funds were solicited in all three parishes, Clear Creek, Pilot Grove and Martinsville. The three-story brick building was completed in 1901 and blessed by Bishop J. J. Glennon. The total cost of the building was about $4,000. The transfer of the property and building was for parish school purposes. Thus, came into existence, the first parish school that same year. There were 60 pupils enrolled. In 1915 , Father Hildebrand Roessler, O. S. B., received an appointment to St. Joseph Parrish. At this time the school rooms were inadequate and the need to build a larger school became evident. Despite the high cost of war times, he succeeded in erecting a large four-room school building with modern equipment. Together with the willing help of the parishioners, in 1917 this task was accomplished at a cost of about $12,000, which included the cost of furnishings and equipment. The entire indebtedness was canceled in four years. The school was taught by the Benedictine Sisters of Fort Smith, Arkansas. At that time, it included grades one through eight plus two years of high school. Due to increasing demands for personnel and equipment, the high school closed in 1929 . SAINTS PETER and PAUL CATHOLIC - BOONVILLE The Saints Peter and Paul parish school was established in 1910 , being taught by the Sisters of St. Francis of Milwaukee. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia, Kansas assumed leadership of the school in 1925 . At this time a new school was built on the site of the old Gantner home, on Seventh Street and an extension of Vine Street. The high school opened in 1925 ; four years later six young people composed the first graduating class from Boonville Catholic High School. Students steadily increased in number and the school grew for 34 years until the high school closed in 1969 . ZION LUTHERAN SCHOOL - LONE ELM The Christian Day School was considered an important factor in the religious training of the young people of the congregation. While the church was being built, the congregation bought land and started construction of the school. Work on the church was delayed and the school was completed first. Church was held in the school until the church was completed. Lumber for building the school was hauled by wagon two miles from an abandoned Christian Church that the congregation tore down. There were 97 students who attended the first session of school in 1896 . Charles Dusenberg, a teacher from Sweet Springs, was the first teacher and church organist. Dusenberg taught for five years. Classes were taught in English half the day and in German the rest of the day. Not until World War I when anti-German sentiment swept the nation was German teaching discontinued. Because of such a large enrollment with one teacher, older pupils were assigned to teach classes of younger children under the direction of the teacher. To make it easier for the teacher to keep law and order and to keep his charges a little fearful, one of the parents brought a short stick, with a piece of leather cut in three strips fastened to the end, to be used as a reminder to behave. As the story goes, his own son was the first to feel the strap, and to be persuaded that good conduct in class was important. The children came to school on horseback and in carts and wagons. There were usually from 12 to 20 horses stabled there during the day. The riders had to bring feed for their horses and feed them during the noon hour, as well as bring their own lunch. The school continues to provide a good education to the children in the Lone Elm Community. (1844-2002) KEMPER MILITARY SCHOOL Male Collegiate Institute By Pat Holmes The Kemper Military School, founded by Frederich T. Kemper, in June 1844 in Boonville flourished for many years. It was an important part of the local economy and was highly regarded for its rigorous training that it provided for young men. It was called the West Point of the West. Will Rogers was a student there. Many cadets went on to become leaders in diverse fields of endeavor as well as the military. Professor Frederick Thomas Kemper, born in 1816 , came to Missouri from Madison County, Virginia in 1836 . He graduated from Marian College at Palmyra, Missouri in 1841 , and continued there for three years as a tutor, prior to coming to Boonville and opening his own school, the Kemper Boarding School for boys and young men, opened in 1844 . The school occupied several temporary sites until 1845 when it moved into its new two-story brick building on Third Street. This site became the permanent location of the school throughout its history. As the student body grew, the original building was greatly enlarged until it became a 50,544 square foot structure housing all the functions of a boarding and academic school. The school served a real need in the area for providing a classic, disciplined education for young men, many of whom were the descendants of early settlers. Kemper mentored a young man, Thomas A. Johnston, who came to the school from a farm south of Boonville. Johnston later became the assistant principal of the Kemper School. After Kemper's death in 1881 , Johnston became its leader and was associated with Kemper School for 70 years. It was Johnston who restructured the school into the Kemper Military School. Johnston developed the campus, expanding the original building, adding the attractive “A” Barracks, the large Johnston Field House Gymnasium, the Swimming Pool Annex, the large “D” Barracks,” the Mathematics Building, among other ancillary buildings. His successors added Academic Hall, Science Hall, and the large, and last building, “K” Barracks. Johnston's daughter married A.M. Hitch who was the third president. His son, Harris Johnston, became the fourth president of Kemper Military Academy. The school flourished for many years. It was an important part of the local economy. It was highly regarded. It was called the West Point of the West. Will Rogers was a student there. Many cadets went on to become leaders in diverse fields of endeavor as well as the military. Toward the later years of the Twentieth Century, difficulties arose. The school closed in 2002 . Ownership was transferred to the City of Boonville. Buildings, including the original Kemper School and its additions, the “K” Barracks, and the Mule Barn have been demolished. The Johnston Field House and Gymnasium have become a YMCA. The State Fair Junior College occupies one academic building, and the Boonslick Regional Library, Boonville Branch, is preparing to occupy another. Today, youth of all ages participate in soccer games on the former Athletic Fields. Bicyclists camp there while participating in Katy Trail rides. A beautiful park honoring those who have died from cancer, now appears on the former Parade Grounds with marble benches and softly splashing fountains. Kemper alumni still meet annually and sign the school's Standard of Honor, keeping the spirit of the school alive. There is a Kemper Museum planned for a storefront on Main Street, and a display of Kemper memorabilia in the River, Rails and Trails Museum. Kemper Alumni Association SUCCESSFUL KEMPER GRADS Hugh Charles Krampe, AKA Hugh O’Brian Hugh Charles Krampe was born in Rochester, New York on April 19, 1925. His father was an executive with the Armstrong Cork Company and they moved around a lot. He was five when they moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and it was there that he attended elementary school. Their next move was to Chicago, then to Winnetka, Illinois, where he started high school. From there, Krampe attended Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri, where he lettered in football, basketball, wrestling, and track. He attempted to continue his education at the University of Cincinnati but dropped out after only for one semester because of World War II. He enlisted in the Marine Corps and became an expert with both rifles and pistols. His military medals included the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. After the war, Krampe found himself in California. He had been accepted at Yale University in the fall of 1947 with plans to become a lawyer. However, he was attending his date’s rehearsals for the Somerset Maugham’s play Home and Beauty when the lead actor failed to show up. The director, Ida Lupino, asked him to read the lines and he got the role. The play received rave reviews and an agent signed him up. It was at this time that Krampe changed his name. The playbill had misspelled his name as “Krape” so he took his mother’s family name and became Hugh “O’Brien.” Again, his name was misspelled. O’Brien was “O’Brian.” This time he just decided to keep it. In 1955, adult westerns hit TV screens and, along with Gunsmoke and Cheyenne, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp starring Hugh O’Brian appeared in living rooms all over the US. O’Brian went the extra mile to develop his character. He bought a copy of Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal by Stuart N. Lake and developed a relationship with Lake who was a consultant on the show for the first couple of years. During the 1950s and 1960s, O’Brian made regular appearances on other shows such as Nat King Cole, Jackie Gleason, Ed Sullivan, and the Dinah Shore Chevy Show. He also was a guest attorney in a 1963 Perry Mason episode when Raymond Burr had emergency surgery. He appeared as a guest celebrity panelist for game shows Password and What’s My Line? O’Brian also appeared in many movies, including The Shootist (1976) with John Wayne. But O’Brian’s life wasn’t limited to TV and the Big Screen. He started the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY), a non-profit youth leadership development program for high school scholars, in 1958. HOBY sponsors 10,000 high school sophomores annually through its leadership programs in all 50 states and 20 countries. Hugh O’Brian died at his home in Beverly Hills on September 5, 2016. He was yet another celebrity who once attended Kemper Military School and learned the importance of passing on something to the next generation. Source: Elizabeth Davis "Historically Yours" George Lindsey 1928-2012 George Smith Lindsey was born on December 17, 1928, in Fairfield, Alabama. Raised by grandparents in Jasper, Alabama, he graduated from Walker County High School in 1946. Lindsey attended Kemper Military School before receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from what is now the University of North Alabama in 1952 where he majored in physical education and biology. He was also quarterback on the football team and acted in college plays. Following college, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and was stationed at Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico. As a civilian, he taught high school in Hazel Green, Alabama, while waiting to be accepted by the American Theater Wing in New York City in 1956. After graduating from the Wing, he performed in two Broadway plays, “Wonderful Town” and “All American” before moving to Los Angeles in 1962. Over the next two years Lindsey appeared in a number of well-known TV series of the 1960s: Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, The Real McCoy’s, The Twilight Zone, Daniel Boone, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and three episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Lindsey got his big break in 1964 when he was cast as Goober Beasley on The Andy Griffith Show. His character was renamed Goober Pyle to tie him to his cousin Gomer Pyle. During the series and afterwards Lindsey continued playing minor roles in other shows: The Walter Brennan series, The Tycoon, the 1964 film Ensign Pulver, Disney’s Snowball Express, M*A*S*H, and Hee Haw. Lindsey’s voice was also presented in three Disney animated features: The Aristocrats, Robin Hood, and The Rescuers. While he was known as the slow-witted but kindly Goober, he was anything but in real life. Lindsey raised over $1,000,000 for Alabama Special Olympics through 17 years of the George Lindsey Celebrity Weekend and Golf Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama. He raised another $50,000 for the Alabama Association of Retarded Citizens and participated as Head Coach-Winter Games in the Minneapolis, Minnesota Special Olympics National Competition. Lindsey established and perpetuated the George Lindsey Academic Scholarships at the University of North Alabama. He also established the George Lindsey/UNA Film Festival that takes place at the University of North Alabama annually in the spring. Not everyone who attended Kemper became career military, but Kemper can be proud of being a part of teaching the concept of “giving back”. George Smith Lindsey died in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 6, 2012. Source: "Historically Yours" by Elizabeth Davis From the Revolution to the West Point of the West Thomas Alexander Johnston was born on November 13, 1848, on a farm south of Boonville. He was educated in local schools and then at Kemper School. Johnston joined the Confederate Army in October 1864. After the War Between the States, Col. Johnston attended the State University at Columbia and graduated in 1872 with a Bachelor of Arts and then a Master of Arts. He returned to Boonville and joined the faculty at Kemper School as assistant principal. When Mr. Kemper died in 1881, Johnston was named the next superintendent. Col. Johnston began a series of improvements that increased enrollment and added more buildings. He became known as the “Builder of Kemper.” In 1885, he added the military training program. The school’s name was changed to Kemper Military School in 1899 and it was advertised as the “West Point of the West.” Other changes followed: 1915, the Standard of Honor; 1916, a formal ROTC program; and 1923, a junior college. Johnston retired in 1928, naming his son-in-law Colonel Arthur M. Hitch as his successor, but stayed on as President of Kemper until his death on February 5, 1934. Source: Elizabeth Davis "Historically Yours" William L. Nelson Kemper Cadets Mr. Kemper Kemper Barracks Early photo of Kemper Kemper at Memorial Statues at Boonville

AUTHORS, ARTISTS, & HISTORIANS OF COOPER COUNTY AUTHORS Books are a very important part of our lives and national heritage. For the sake of argument, books are not limited to physical, printed editions. For those who have switched to e-books or “read” audio books, remember, each book, whether fiction or non-fiction, must first be written or “created.” Throughout the year, there are many unofficial, designated special occasions that bring recognition to a person, place, or thing. November is National Novel Writing Month, April is National Poetry Month, and the third week in January is National Book Week. In May, there is even a National Children’s Book Week. But who writes all these books, and when? Thousands of people have written books and have done so for centuries. Our forefathers (and mothers) have written about America’s colonial days, our war for independence, and each and every war we’ve had since then. There are biographies, historical fiction, science fiction, and poetry. Not all books were written long ago or by authors now gone. At least a dozen writers live in Cooper and Howard counties. To them I dedicate this column. Source: Elizabeth Davis Women Authors: Ann Betteridge Florence (Winky) Friedrich e s Anita Crews Elizabeth Davis Cindy Koch Eva Ridenour Linda Runnebaum Anna Skjei Mary Ann Snapp Judy Stock Barb Thoma Casey Wendleton There is no way any one person can know every author, so my apologies for all the names I’ve missed. Source: Elizabeth Davis WELL KNOWN ARTISTS George Caleb Bingham George Caleb Bingham is best remembered as a 19th century artist who left behind a visual record of American history. Bingham was born in Virginia on March 20, 1811. Although he grew up in a slave-holding family, he and his family’s roots were firmly tied to generations of New England ministers. In 1819, Bingham’s family moved to Franklin, Missouri. There, they opened an inn and purchased a tobacco farm in Arrow Rock. Four years later Bingham’s father died and his mother, one of the best educated women of the day, opened a girls’ school to support the family. Bingham hired out as a farmhand as soon as he was old enough to help, but it was soon discovered he was asthmatic. With few options before him, he became a cabinetmaker apprentice near Boonville, first to Jesse Green and later to Justinian Williams. He learned precise craftsmanship and by 1834, Bingham was using that craftsmanship as a portrait painter. A self-taught American primitive artist, Bingham wanted more. In 1836, he went back east to study at the Philadelphia Academy. While there, he was able to see originals of America’s greatest—Benjamin West, Washington Allston, etc. After only a few months, his work became more sophisticated. Always seeking to improve his art work, Bingham then went to Dusseldorf, Germany, in 1856 to continue his studies. At the time, Dusseldorf was the center of the western art world. Prior to the Civil War, when future Missouri Governor Claiborne Jackson was campaigning for slavery, George Bingham was campaigning against it. Bingham believed “slavery should not be expanded, slave families should never be separated, and all slaves should be gradually emancipated.” When the Civil War began, Bingham enlisted as a captain in Van Horn’s US Reserve Corps. After being defeated in September 1861, they were disbanded according to the terms of their surrender. A few months later, on January 4, 1862, Union Governor Hamilton Gamble appointed Bingham state treasurer for Missouri. After the war, Bingham was able to continue his art while he served as Missouri’s adjutant general and in other appointed posts. George Caleb Bingham died in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 7, 1879. Source: Historically Yours, by Elizabeth Davis Florence (Winky) Friedriches – Painter, graphic arts, metal work, dress design Wayne Lammers – Photography Edwards Family Two generations of photographers O. D. Edwards came to the United States and settled in Boonville in 1859. Edwards became a skilled photographer and made a fine living during the Civil War, photographing soldiers on both sides. His success lasted for the better part of 50 years. Louis Edwards, his son, followed in his father’s footsteps. He graduated from Boonville High School and attended the Singleton Academy before becoming as skilled in photography as his father. He was known for quality work at reasonable prices. William L. Tanner William L. Tanner, the oldest of twelve children, was born in Illinois on September 24, 1880, the son of Louis and Christina (Kraft) Tanner. Louis Tanner was a native of Switzerland and came to the United States with his parents at the age of 14. He served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war, the family moved to St. Louis where they operated a manufacturing business. Later they relocated to Lost Prairie, Illinois. In 1886, the family returned to St. Louis. William Tanner left school at 13 and went to work in a gents’ furnishing store until the age of 19. At that time he took up the study of photography and worked with Gustav Schneidt who had learned the art in Germany. On June 5, 1905, Willian Tanner married Miss Emma Georgiana Schneidt, the daughter of his employer, and the union was blessed with one son, William Louis, Jr. In 1911 Tanner began working in the studio of O. C. Conkling. He became a traveling salesman for Hyatt’s Photo Supply Company in 1914 and stayed in their employ until he moved to Boonville in 1916. On March 23, 1916, Tanner opened his own studio in the McCurdy Building in Boonville where he had what we call today a Grand Opening. It was quite a new way of doing business in the early 1900s. And each lady attending received a photograph of herself—54 in all. Tanner’s studio lasted just under three years. On December 23, 1918, it burned down and he lost almost everything in the fire. However, a successful business doesn’t stay down long. Tanner reopened Tanner Studio and Art Shop at 305 Main St. on February 26, 1919. Occupying two floors and the basement, it was the “the last word in modernity. The nitrogen lighting system, with a battery of eight lights, of strength of 8000 watts, is used and renders reliance on daylight as an adjunct to photography unnecessary. Posing can be accomplished at any hour of the day or night…studio is equipped with the finest model of camera in existence fitted with an automatic adjustment, and which uses films instead of plates. Perfectly appointed dressing rooms have been provided for patrons.” A new department of the studio was handled by Frank Swap, a local artist. For those who were interested, portrait painting was also available. Source: Johnson, W. F. , History of Cooper County, vol. I, c/1919, page 498 Maximilian Schmidt (1865-1935) Maximilian Schmidt learned the trade of a jeweler and watchmaker. WELL KNOWN HISTORIANS Ann Betteridge - Author of the 400-page workbook “Discover Cooper County by Looking Back”, was given personally to each Cooper County third grader by the author, along with a fun history lesson. Ann presented this book, which she had researched and written, to the children for over a period of over 20 years, until her untimely death. Gladys Darby Elizabeth Davis Jim Denny Bob Dyer Florence ”Winky” Friedriches Jeanette Heaton James Higby Wayne Lammers Helen Mitzel (1901-2006) Mary Pat Holmes Sam Jewett Maryellen McVicker Patrick Overton Bonnie Rapp Judy Shields HISTORICAL WRITERS Wayne Lammers Maryellen McVicker Ann Betteridge Bob Dyer Jim Dyer Judy Shields Elizabeth Davis Jeanette Heaton

PROHIBITION Sheriff John Grothe and Deputy James Morton with captured moonshine sti ll in St. Charles, 1924. (S1083) State Historical Society of Missouri. (1920 - 1933) Prohibition era begins across the U.S. affecting many of the German immigrant-owned beer companies in Missouri “Beginning in 1882, Missouri counties and towns passed local option laws to turn communities dry. By World War I, over 90 of the state’s 114 counties were dry through these laws. On January 16, 1919, Missouri ratified what would become the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which banned the manufacture and sale of alcohol. Under the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act, Missouri's flourishing alcohol and wine industry took a significant step back, particularly German-immigrant owned breweries. After a decade of inefficient enforcement, and with the deepening of the Great Depression, the 21st Amendment, which repealed the 18th Amendment, was ratified in 1933.” Boonville had a very successful brewery, Griessmaier & Roeschel Brewery/Winery, which opened in 1874 and closed in 1878. After prohibition, another brewery known as the Haas Brewery, operated from 1933-1942. So Cooper County did not have any “legal” establishments put out of business during prohibition. There is no record about where, or if, county residents obtained “adult beverages” during prohibition. Courtesy of: Missouri Bicentennial Timeline 1867 Source: Boonvil le Tourism Warm Springs Ranch Warm Springs Ranch is located a few miles east of Boonville, Missouri. Hundreds of tourists turn up each year to visit the international stars who make their home at Warm Springs Ranch. In a round-about way, it started in 1933 when Congress passed the 21st Amendment which repealed the 18th Amendment, otherwise known as Prohibition. There was little doubt the Amendment would be ratified by the states and, after 13 years without legal alcohol, Congress and the people couldn’t, or wouldn’t, wait. The Cullen-Harrison Act of 1933, introduced by Representative Thomas H. Cullen and Senator Pat Harrison in March, was rushed through both houses of Congress and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in eight days. The bill legalized 3.2% beer, effective on April 7, 1933, before the 21st Amendment was ratified. April 7 became, unofficially anyway, National Beer Day. To celebrate the first day of legalized alcohol in over a decade, August A. Busch, Jr. presented his father, the Sr. Busch, with a red, white, and gold beer wagon drawn by eight Clydesdales. After the wagon carried the first case of beer from the St. Louis brewery in a special journey through St. Louis, the Sr. Busch had the team sent by rail to New York City. Once there, they picked up two cases of beer at Newark Airport. The first case was presented to New York’s former governor Al Smith for his help in repealing Prohibition. Then the Clydesdales toured New England and the Mid-Atlantic States, stopping on the way to deliver a case of beer to President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House. Today, the Budweiser Clydesdales are international stars. They travel all over the US, appear in parades, and make commercials which are seen all over the world, especially on Super Bowl Sunday. The largest breeding facility for these magnificent horses is right here in the middle of Missouri at Warm Springs Ranch.