St. Clair County
Remnants Of The Past

History of Henry and St. Clair Counties, Missouri, 1883

Odds n' Ends

Clinton and Osceola were the trading points for this whole section of the country. Crow and Crutchfield, at Osceola, and the Wallace Brothers, at Clinton, were the leading merchants. John F. Weidemyer at Osceola a few years later did a large business. The roads were through the open woods and prairies, and pretty generally in a straight line, but the new farms fenced in makes the distance at this day some five to six miles greater.

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The Hopkinson Mill was started in 1870 and completed 15 June 1871. It was a good mill, with all the modern flouring machinery in use at that date. It was named "Eclipse Mill" and had three run of burrs, while the building itself on a solid rock foundation was 30 x 40 feet in size, two and one-half stories high. The expected advent of a railroad started the citizens into activity, and the improvements during the year were many. Among these improvements the following property holders put up one or more buildings: T. Amrine, J. Baldwin, E.P. Bartlett, D.N. Batchelor, J. Bowers, Lewis Conant, G. Culley, F. Daniel, E.T. Daniels, S.G. Disbrow, J.W. Dooley, S.H. Donovan, S. Faurot, J.C. Ferguson, W. Fuqua, J.L. Hicks, J.T. Hopkinson, G. Jones, H. Kibbie, P. Knipe, D.C. McNeil, L.A. Mentzer & Co. (Post Office), G.S. Monroe, A.J. Moore, W. Moore, J.L. Osborn & Co., W.H. Osborn, A.B. Brock, J.P. Ryan, W.P. Sheldon, D.P. Shield, A.S. Stewart, trustees M.E. Church, W. Williamson, W.F. Wynkoop. Mr. John Hancock also erected a fine residence.

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A daily line of stage coaches to Clinton started in 1871, making close connections with trains east and west on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad. A tri-weekly line to Bolivar was also started, affording the means of transit to that point, from which stages left for Springfield, Lebanon and other parts of the southwest.

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There were seventeen business houses in the city of Osceola in 1875, besides six lawyers, five physicians, one saloon, two hotels, one dentist, three carpenters, one steam saw and grist mill, one cooper, one blacksmith and one paint shop, two livery stables, two banks and one newspaper. This was not much improved until 1880, the town remaining almost stationary in its growth. The trouble with the railroad debt caused general stagnation.

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Osceola Cornet Band flourished in 1870. Eventually it "petered" out.

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The most remarkable snow storm ever passed over Osceola, occurred 5 January 1871. Starting in with a rain storm, the thermometer standing at 65 degrees, and then within an hour turning first to sleet and then to snow, continuing almost constantly from Thursday at 9 p.m., to Sunday morning, when the snow lay on the ground to the depth of about 14 inches. Nothing like it according to the report of the "oldest inhabitant", though something of the kind, but not so severe, happened in 1863.

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William Sanders, a desperate character, was shot and killed by Marshal John P. Wilson, in trying to secure his arrest on 27 September 1872.

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The Osceola Savings Bank opened for business 2 September 1872. John Hancock, president; W.O. Mead, cashier.

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A fire occurred on the night of 7 December 1872, destroying a barn and contents, valued at $500. L.A. Mentzer lost a valuable horse at the same time.

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A hack line was established in January 1872 between Osceola and Appleton City.

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The Osage Literary Club was in existence in 1872 and 1873, and a Philosophic-Literary Club was again started in 1879. They are of the past.

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An Archery Club was organized which attained considerable skill. In a trial of skill between opposing sides the following were the winners:
Capt. J.H. Linney, Miss Sallie Harris, Mrs. E.L. Landes, Miss Lizzie Lilley, Mrs. J.H. Linney, Mrs. J.H. Lucas, Will Lilley, L. Conant, Miss Ella Amrine.

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The first white child born in the county was a girl, in 1837, the daughter of William Cox.

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The first white male born in the county was George M. Cox, a few months later, in 1837.

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The first resident physician in the county was Dr. Pleasant M. Cox, in 1836.

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The first justice of the peace was James Gardner in 1835.

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The first colored child born in the county was called Willie Cox, his mother being owned by Mr. William Cox. This child was born in 1837.

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The first blacksmith shop in the county was started by John W. Bridges in 1836 or 1837.

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The first store in the county was Crow & Crutchfield's in March 1836.

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The first attorney was Charles P. Bullock.

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The first resident minister was Littleton Lunsford.

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The first election held in Osceola Township was at Crow & Crutchfield's in August 1838. There had been other elections but the polling places were in Doyal at Gash's.

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James Gardner taught the first school in Osceola Township.

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The first horse mill was in 1837, and was the property of Dr. P.M. Cox.

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The first frame house, lumber whip-sawed, was put up in 1839.

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John G. Wright was killed May 3, 1872 by a piece of rock crushing his skull, from a blast let off by men, while working in the cut north of town for the Memphis railroad.

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Two men, while on a hunt in November 1872, found a tin can in a hollow tree with $3,000 in gold enclosed. They divided.

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Before the advent of railroads Osceola was considered as the head of navigation of the Osage River, and all Southwest Missouri and a portion of Arkansas came here for their goods. A city of about 1,500 souls stood here, one of the liveliest towns in the state, but Jim Lane laid the place in ashes and left not even a house to mark the point where it stood.

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In Osage Township, lead indications are more numerous than in any other section of the county, although both Collins and Doyal claim to possess this metal in large quantities. In this portion of the township are the famous Monegaw Springs, whose wealth of mineral and healing waters will yet make it a Mecca for the invalids of the state. Some three miles east of these springs is a white sulphur spring of great medicinal quality, and one of the most pleasant to the taste of any of the medical waters in the county. This spring is found on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 27, township 38, range 26, and is called the Salt Creek Springs. John C. Looney was the first owner of these springs. Dr. John Elliott settled near these springs in 1850, opened a general store near them and tried to get up a summer resort, but failed simply because transportation was not to be found except on horseback and in wagons for twenty-five or thirty miles.

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County Court, March term, 1883
To the people of St. Clair County:
Ordered, that in the matter of the railroad indebtedness:
Whereas, Judgments for a large amount have already been rendered against the county on the railroad bonded indebtedness, and mandamus proceedings are being continually served on the county court, commanding them to levy taxes sufficient to pay said judgements; and
Whereas, The entire bonded debt of the county, issued for railroad purposes is now due, and suits are being brought to recover judgments thereon; and
Whereas, It is the belief of the judges of this court that a fair and reasonable compromise of said indebtedness can be obtained by the people of the county; and
Whereas, we believe that an effort to that end should be made by the people in conjunction with the county court; therefore,
Resolved, That it is hereby recommended to the people of the county, that they meet in their respective townships on Saturday, the 5th day of May, 1883, and when so assembled, that they appoint and select, five delegates in each township, belonging to different political parties, whose duty it shall be to convene in the court house in Osceola, on the 7th day of May, 1883, and consult among themselves and with the creditors of the county, with a view of agreeing, if possible, on some terms of compromise of said indebtedness, that may be satisfactory to the people and acceptable to the creditors.

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A petition for the organization of St. Clair county to become an independent municipality in 1840 was signed by: John Barnett, S.C. Bruce, R.P. Cocke, Dr. P.M. Cox, Thomas Cruthaid, J.A. Culbertson, G.B. Culbertson, J.C. Greenwell, Columbus Halin (Hahn?), H.N. Hester, John Howard, James Hoover, William B. Lawler, Z. Lilley, James Renfro, J. Ridgeway, W.H. Scobey, Albert Sheldon, George Short, Hiram Short, H.Y. Small, R.H. Sproul, Ervin Thomas, John R. White.
At that time, there were 350 heads of families.