THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI COLUMBIA, MISSOURI

FALL 1967 THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI The State Historical Society of Missouri, heretofore organized under the laws of this State, shall be the trustee of this State—Laws of Missouri, 1899, R.S. of Mo., 1959, Chapter 183.

OFFICERS 1985-68 LEO J. ROZIER, Perryville, President L. E. MEADOR, Springfield, First Vice President *WILLIAM C. TUCKER, Warrensburg, Second Vice President LEWIS E. ATHERTON, Columbia, Third Vice President RUSSELL V. DYE, Liberty, Fourth Vice President JACK STAPLETON, SR., Stanberry, Fifth Vice President JOHN A. WINKLER, Hannibal, Sixth Vice President R. B. PRICE, Columbia, Treasurer FLOYD C. SHOEMAKER, Columbia, Secretary Emeritus and Consultant RICHARD S. BROWN LEE, Columbia, Director, Secretary, and Librarian TRUSTEES Permanent Trustees, Former Presidents of the Society E. L. DALE, Carthage E. E. SWAIN, Kirksville RUSH H. LIMBAUGII, Cape Girardeau ROY D. WILLIAMS, Boonville GEORGE A. ROZIER, Jefferson City Term Expires at Annual Meeting, 1987 WILLIAM AULL, III, Lexington GEORGE FULLER GREEN, Kansas City WILLIAM R. DENSLOW, Trenton GEORGE H. SCRUTON, Sedalia ELMER ELLIS, Columbia JAMES TODD, Moberly ALFRED O. FUERBRINGER, St. Louis T. BALLARD WAITERS, Marshfield

Term Expires at Annual Meeting, 1988 FRANK P. BRIGGS, Macon *W. C. HEWITT, Shelbvville HENRY A. BUNDSCHU, Independence ROBERT NAGEL JONES, St. Louis R. I. COLBORN, Paris LEWIS E. ATHERTON, Columbia VICTOR A. GIERKE, Louisiana * WILLIAM C. TUCKER, Warrensburg Term Expires at Annual Meeting, 1969 *BARTLETT BODER, St. Joseph W. WALLACE SMITH, Independence GEORGE MCCUE, St. Louis JACK STAPLETON, SR., Stanberry L. E. MEADOR, Springfield HENRY C. THOMPSON, Bonne Terre JOSEPH H. MOORE, Charleston ROBERT M. WHITE, Mexico

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The twenty-nine Trustees, the President and the Secretary of the Society, the Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and President of the Univer­ sity of Missouri constitute the Executive Committee. FINANCE COMMITTEE Five members of the Executive Committee appointed by the President of the Society at each annual meeting of the Executive Committee constitute the Finance Committee.

T. BALLARD WAITERS, Marshfield, Chairman WILLIAM R. DENSLOW, Trenton *W. C. HEWITT, Shelbyville ELMER ELLIS, Columbia GEORGE A. ROZIER, Jefferson City

Deceased CONTENTS

PUBLIC QUARRELS AND PRIVATE PLANS: THE PRESIDENT, VETERANS AND THE MAYOR OF ST. LOUIS. By C. Joseph Pusateri 1

BENJAMIN F. STRINGFELLOW: THE FIGHT FOR SLAVERY ON THE MISSOURI

BORDER. By Lester B. Baltimore 14

BANKING IN EARLY MISSOURI, PART II. By Harry S. Gleick 30

OLD CHARITON—ONLY A MEMORY. By Harold N. Calvert 45

THE WALTER SCOTT: A STEAMBOAT AHEAD OF ITS DAY. By Warren E. Spehar . .51

VIEWS FROM THE PAST: MISSOURI RECREATION 54

HISTORICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS

News in Brief 56 Local Historical Societies 60 Honors and Tributes 69 Gifts 70 Missouri History in Newspapers 73 Missouri History in Magazines 77 Erratum 78 In Memoriam 79

BOOK REVIEWS 81

BOOK NOTES 86

TRIAL BALLOONS 93

PHOEBE APPERSON HEARST Inside Back Cover

THE COVER: The problems on the Missouri-Kansas border in the 1850s received national attention. The front cover illustration, "Ferrying Missouri Voters to the Kansas Shore," appeared in the serialization of Abraham Lincoln: A History, written by John G. Nicolay and John Hay, published in The Century Magazine during 1886-1887. MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW

Published Quarterly by THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI COLUMBIA, MISSOURI

RICHARD S. BROWN LEE EDITOR

DOROTHY CALDWELL ASSOCIATE EDITOR

JAMES W. GOODRICH ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW is owned by the State Historical Society of Missouri and is published quarterly at 201 South Eighth Street, Columbia, Missouri 65201. Send communications and change of address to The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65201. Second class postage is paid at Columbia, Missouri. VOLUME LXII The REVIEW is sent free to all members of The State Historical Society of Missouri. Membership dues in the Society are $2.00 a year or $25 for an individual life membership. The Society assumes NUMBER 1 no responsibility for statements made by contributors to the magazine. OCTOBER 1967 PUBLIC iB %" : v? QUARRELS AND PRIVATE PLANS: THE PRESIDENT, THE VETERANS, AND THE MAYOR of ST. LOUIS 111 BY gill C. JOSEPH PUSATERI* 111 11111

David Rowland Francis Stevens, Hist, of St. Louis, I

In the summer of 1887 the irresistible political force of the all- powerful Union Army veterans' organization, the Grand Army of the Republic, clashed with an immovable political object in the person of Grover Cleveland, President of the United States and ex­ ponent of honest and economical government. The outcome of that political collision had far-reaching consequences, not only for its participants, but also for the city of St. Louis and especially the city's young mayor David Rowland Francis. The Grand Army of the Republic, or simply the G.A.R. as it was more commonly known, had been founded in 1866 as a *A native of St. Louis, Dr. Pusateri attended the University of Notre Dame, Indiana University and St. Louis University. He received his Ph.D. in American History from St. Louis University and he is presently an assistant professor of History on the faculty of John Carroll University. 2 Missouri Historical Review nonpartisan fraternal society of Civil War veterans who had fought to preserve the Union. Over the years the organization spread from its original home in Decatur, Illinois, across all of the north­ ern states so that by 1887 its membership stood at an impressive 320,000.1 While supposedly nonpartisan, the society had mixed in po­ litical affairs since its inception, becoming closely allied with the Republican party. The Republicans had shown through the years a willingness to grant veterans' pensions with an open hand and to give the veterans preferment in federal employment, a generosity which held the allegiance of the ex-soldiers. With Union army veterans forming large blocs of the voting population in the key northern states, such policies made obvious political sense. On the other hand, the Democratic party was handicapped in attracting the support of the veteran by its association with the defeated Confederacy, and by its philosophy of reduction of all government expenditures in the interest of economy and of with­ holding special privileges and favors to special interest groups whether these groups be manufacturers seeking protective tariffs or ex-soldiers seeking pensions.2 Grover Cleveland, the first Democratic President since the Civil War, was no dissenter from this prevailing party philosophy and, as a result, quickly incurred the wrath of the G.A.R. Cleveland was accused of choosing Confederate veterans over those of the North in filling governmental posts and of showing his lack of gratitude for the services of Union veterans by vetoing a large number of special pension bills.3 As the biographer of the G.A.R. points out, Cleveland actually vetoed only 228 out of more than 1,800 special pension bills passed by the Congress. But "the dis­ appointed claimants became 228 victims of Cleveland's animosity to veterans—228 rounds of ammunition in the Republican oratorical armament."4 Cleveland's problem was complicated in that he himself had not been a soldier and had instead hired a substitute to serve for him during the Civil War, a fact that the G.A.R. did not allow

1 Mary R. Dearing, Veterans in Politics: The Story of the G.A.R. /Baton Rouge, 1952), 80-86, 308. 2 Horace Samuel Merrill, Bourbon Leader: Grover Cleveland and the Democratic Party (Boston, 1957) , 44-45. 3 Dearing, Veterans in Politics, 315; Donald L. McMurry, "The Political Significance of the Pension Question," Mississippi Valley Historical Review, IX (June, 1922) , 29. 4 Dearing, Veterans in Politics, 331. G.A.R. Delegates Badge St. Louis Globe-Democrat, September 12, 1887 the President to forget.5 The quarrel was intensified early in 1887 when Cleveland vetoed the Dependent Pension Bill, a piece of legislation for which the G.A.R. had long lobbied. That bill had promised to pay a pension of twelve dollars monthly to any Union army veteran who was physically disabled, regardless of when the disability had developed. Cleveland denounced the bill as being open to "unjust and mischievous application" and of placing a "premium on dishonesty and mendacity."6 With that veto, the breach between the White House and the organized veterans be­ came a dangerous chasm threatening to block any possibility of the President's reelection in 1888.

5 Allan Nevins, Grover Cleveland, A Study in Courage (New York, 1932), 49-52. 6 James D. Richardson, A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the President, 1789-1902 (Washington, 1903) , VIII, 555. 4 Missouri Historical Review

Into this perilous situation strode David Rowland Francis of St. Louis. A prosperous businessman and an ardent Cleveland Democrat, Francis had unexpectedly received his party's nomina­ tion for mayor in 1885.7 The tall, mustached, young man (Francis was only thirty-four at the time of his nomination) introduced a breath of fresh air in the stale back-room atmosphere of the St. Louis Democratic party of the mid-1880s. He represented the "re­ spectable" element of the city who, following Grover Cleveland's example, suddenly saw the need for their own participation in politics. In fact, Francis was generally regarded as a midwcstern version of the new President.* In spite of his inexperience in politics, Francis" administration as mayor was reasonably successful and, from an earl) date, there began to be speculation about his advancement to the governorship.5* The subject of this speculation was not adverse to the idea but he recognized a handicap to overcome. St. Louisans were not particularly popular politically among rural Missourians. The "'big city" candidate invariably had a difficult time garnering the farmer vote. Francis himself commented upon this problem, "The prejudice existing in many parts of the state against a St. Louis man would be a great obstacle in the pathway of any man hailing from this city."10 Thus an unusual opportunity had to pre­ sent itself for Francis to attain his goal. Such an opportunity lay hidden in the acrid quarrel between the Grand Army of the Re­ public and the President of the United States. Each year the G.A.R. held its annual reunion, called a Nation­ al Encampment, at a different major city. The choice for 1887 had fallen upon St. Louis and preparations were being made months before the veterans were to arrive the last week of September. A large portion of those preparations was being handled by a local arrangements committee consisting of eight St. Louis G.A.R. of­ ficials and ten prominent citizens headed by the mayor. It was this committee that made the fateful decision in February, 1887, to invite President Grover Cleveland's attendance at the Encamp­ ment as a guest of both the G.A.R. and the city.11 The National "i See the author's, A Businessman in Politics: David R. Francis, Missouri Democrat" (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, St. Louis University) for a full treat­ ment of the political career of Francis. 8 St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 8, 1885. -'St. Louis Missouri Republican. December 17, 1885. io Letter of David R. Francis to 1*. I. Goddin. November 1, 1887, in David R. Francis Papers in Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, Mo. Cited hereafter as Francis papers. Ji Merrill, Bourbon Leader. 107; Dearing, Veterans in Politics. 337-341. Public Quarrels and Private Plans 5

Commander of the organization, General Lucius Fairchild, and the officials at the G.A.R.'s headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin, were, amazingly, not even consulted.12 Francis wrote personally to the President informing him of the plans a scant two weeks after Cleveland's veto of the Dependent Pension Bill.13 Apparently, the mayor simply assumed that the Chief Executive of the United States would be welcomed by any organization, no matter what his political relations with the group might be. Only political inexperience could account for such artless- ness. It seems extremely doubtful that Francis or the committee intended or desired to provoke an incident. All through early and mid-March an intensive newspaper cam­ paign was launched to drum up backing for the invitation from all elements in the city, and this campaign culminated in an of­ ficial delegation being sent to Washington. Francis, as the head of the delegation, was to issue the formal invitation that now sup­ posedly had the united support of every citizen of the Missouri city. The proceedings in Washington went off smoothly with the President graciously accepting the invitation and promising to be present for the grand celebration.14 At this point, nothing but suc­ cess seemed assured for the Encampment. While the presence of Cleveland seemed a real coup to the arrangements committee and to the general public of the city, it seemed an entirely different matter to the national leaders of the G.A.R. They saw their chief foe making political capital at their expense and the prospect was uninviting. In truth, Cleveland did look upon the occasion as an opportunity to repair his shattered public relations with the veterans of the country.15 A wave of protest began to rise from G.A.R. posts across the country and ominous warnings began to be voiced. General James M. Tuttle, Commander of the Iowa G.A.R., admitted openly, "There is a good prospect of there being trouble." The general belligerently added, "But, if they want fighting, by G—d, we can give 'em some of that."16 With the assassination of President Garfield only six years before still fresh in the public mind, such talk was threatening indeed. The city of St. Louis, taken aback by the mounting protest,

12 Ibid. 13 Francis to Grover Cleveland, February 26, 1887, Francis Papers. 14 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 1, 1887. 15 Merrill, Bourbon Leader, 107. 16 St. Louis Missouri Republican, June 4, 1887. 6 Missouri Historical Review quickly answered intemperance with intemperance. The Missouri Republican, which was, despite its name, the leading Democratic party organ, fired back at Tuttle: General Tuttle of Iowa may stay away from St. Louis as much as he likes and as long as he likes. We have no means of entertaining him. Our lunatic asylum is over­ crowded already.17 The Iowan was not alone in his views, for attacks on the Cleveland visit were coming from G.A.R. posts everywhere in the North. Typical was a resolution passed by the post in Watseka, Illinois, which promised that it would show its feelings for the President by "publicly ignoring and snubbing him."18 The Topeka, Kansas, post called the visit an "insult." An Arkansas post positively refused to march in review past the President.19 Mayor Francis, meanwhile, was a man caught in the middle. What had once promised to be an eventful celebration that would publicize his city now threatened to be at best a fiasco, at worst a disaster to the city and the Democratic party and an affront to the office of the Presidency itself. Francis was partly responsible for the situation. As chairman of the arrangements committee he had helped instigate Cleveland's trip to St. Louis without con­ sidering fully the wishes or opinions of the organization for whom he was preparing the reception. In view of the outspoken warnings of the G.A.R. leaders, the attendance of Cleveland at the Encampment could hardly be risked. Yet, Francis and the city could scarcely withdraw an in­ vitation accepted by the President of the United States. The only way for some face to be saved was for Cleveland himself to reverse his original decision to make the trip. Francis felt compelled to suggest this course to the White House. At the same time, a way to sweeten the very bitter pill had also formed in the mayor's mind. He could propose to Cleveland that the President withdraw his acceptance of the original invitation and instead accept one "spon­ taneously" extended by the residents of St. Louis to attend the city's annual Veiled Prophet pageant and ball, already scheduled for one week after the Grand Army reunion. In this way he would be able to make the trip after all and would thus be the guest of the city rather than the hostile veterans organization. The latter

n Ibid. is Ibid., June 10, 1887. 19 Ibid., June 29, 1887. Public Quarrels and Private Plans 7 would then be placed in the embarrassing position of having not only been guilty of bad manners, but also of seeing its annual meet­ ing serve only as a prelude to an even greater attraction. Such was the scheme devised and communicated privately to Washing­ ton by the mayor.20 The proposal apparently met with the approval of the Admin­ istration for two weeks later the first step was taken. Cleveland addressed a public letter to Francis withdrawing his previous ac-

20 Francis to Cleveland, June 22, 1887, Francis Papers.

G.A.R. celebration at St. Louis. Harpers Weekly, October 8, 1887 8 Missouri Historical Review

ceptance of the imitation. The Chief Executive cited the angry statements made by G.A.R. leaders and explained that they indi­ cated "such a prevalence of unfriendly feeling and such a menace to an occasion which should be harmonious, peaceful, and cordial that they cannot be ignored." He added that if the veterans de­ sired to denounce him publicly, they should be able "to do so unrestrained by my presence as a guest of their organization.*-1 The Presidential letter was the signal for the second phase of the operation to be set in motion by the Mayor. Francis first issued a statement to the press praising the President's action, referring to the letter as "one of the most manly, outspoken and able letters I ever read" and adding that "it breathes patriotism in every line."22 It was somewhat of an ambiguous position in which Francis found himself. He was in charge of arranging a gala welcome Tor the Grand Army while at the same time issuing statements praising Grover Cleveland for taking an indirect slap at the organization. Privately, Francis' comments were even stronger. He wrote Daniel Lamont, Cleveland's private secretary, and exulted that the Pres­ ident's letter "puts the Grand Army at a great disadvantage, and is the entering wedge in the disruption of the organization."2:i At the same time Francis also wrote the President, telling him that he had already called a "mass meeting of citizens" to man­ ufacture a new invitation to St. Louis.24 That meeting opened at noon on July 8 to an overflow crowd in the Merchants' Exchange building. Francis quickly explained the purpose of the gathering: This is a meeting of the citizens of St. Louis, irrespec­ tive of race, creed, nationality or party affiliations. It is called for the purpose of extending to Grover Cleveland, President of the United States, a cordial and spontaneous invitation to visit our citv during the festivities of the com­ ing fall.25 Francis went on to outline the well-known circumstances of Cleveland's recent reversal of the decision to visit St. Louis without mentioning the G.A.R. by name, and then called for united public support behind the new invitation. The meeting

-i St. Louis Missouri Republican, Julv 7, 1887; Walter B. Stevens. "When Cleveland Came to St.. Louis," MISSOURI HISTORICAL RLVII \V. XXI i January, 1927) .151. 23 Francis to Daniel L. Lamont. July 7. 1887, Francis Papers. 24 Francis to Cleveland, Julv 7. 1887, Francis Papers. 25 St. Louis Missouri Republican, Julv 9, 1887. Welcoming the President to St. Louis. Harpers Weekly, October 15, 1887 closed with the naming of Francis as chairman of a new fifty-man committee whose duty it would be to carry St. Louis' desires per­ sonally to Washington.26 The outcome of the meeting had been exactly what Francis had envisioned weeks earlier. Phase two was now successfully launched. The mayor intended to carry the campaign to bring the Presi­ dent to St. Louis much farther than just one meeting. He now set about getting a show of support from all areas of the state. On July 11, he addressed an open letter to all Missourians calling on them to unite with St. Louis in extending the invitation to Grover Cleveland. He stated his belief that any honor reaped by the city

26 Ibid. 10 Missouri Historical Review would be "an honor conferred on the State as well."-7 He wrote personal letters to important and influential state leaders urging representatives from all Missouri counties to join the St. Louis dele­ gation on the trip to Washington.-8 Francis, of course, had no doubts about the acceptance of the invitation since the plans for the substitute visit had already been worked out with the W7hite House before the mass meeting was held. Hence the call for state-wide support was largely politi­ cal embellishment. It would serve to show the President's wide popularity among both urban and rural elements and thus work effectively to counteract any loss of prestige suffered in the G.A.R. affair. Significant also was the fact that it would picture the mayor as one St. Louis politician concerned as much with the prestige and interests of the state as a whole as with his own city. Francis, it would seem, was a man whose vision extended farther than his own city limits. The call for out-state support did not go unanswered. By the time the delegation left St. Louis on July 23, a substantial number of rural leaders had agreed to make the trip. Over one hundred delegates were aboard when the special Baltimore & Ohio train pulled out of Union Station with one of its five coaches covered in white canvas on which was lettered, "The people of Missouri invite the President to visit St. Louis."29 Two days later the group stood in the library of the White House as the mayor of St. Louis addressed the President: We are here, therefore, Sir, in obedience to the man­ dates of our people, representing all sections of Missouri ... to urge you and Mrs. Cleveland to favor us with your presence.30 The President's reply was brief: "The desire to come to see you has increased each day. I don't feel now that I can do other­ wise than accept your invitation." The reply was needless to say, greeted with much applause.81 With the trip's goal successfully fulfilled, the delegates returned to St. Louis. Actually, two goals were achieved: the delegation secured President Cleveland's assent to the fall visit;

27 New York Times, July 12, 1887. 28 See for example, Francis to C. N. Mitchell, July 10, 1887, Francis Papers. Mitchell was editor of the LaPlata, Missouri, Home Press. 29 St. Louis Missouri Republican, Julv 24, 1887. so New York Times, July 26, 1887. 21 Ibid. Public Quarrels and Private Plans 11 and Mayor Francis made friends and won supporters among out- state Democrats. One delegation member afterward attested to the excellent impression Francis made. J. H. Rickey of Callaway County reported that of the sixty delegates on the trip from rural Missouri, fifty-five returned to the state ready to support Francis for Governor in 1888.32 Undoubtedly this was an exaggeration but there was no denying the fact that Francis had scored political points for himself. One St. Louis newspaper observed: Mayor Francis believes in killing two birds with one shot when the opportunity offers, and saving his ammuni­ tion for future emergencies. His trip to Washington not only resulted in the President accepting the invitation to visit St. Louis, but on the way East he made himself . . . solid with the delegations from outside the city.33 It was indeed a pleased mayor who greeted the Grand Army delegates in the last week of September. His plans had worked out well, both for himself and for the national leader of his party. He could hardly have helped having a tongue-in-cheek attitude he told the assembled veterans: All sectional and party lines have been obliterated by our citizens in providing for your welfare, and today you are greeted by a community, which is one in desire, one in purpose, and one in effort, the hospitable entertainment of its guests.34 The days of the Encampment passed without incident and the bulk of the veterans had departed when, on the evening of October 1, the special train of the President of the United States halted at the East St. Louis, Illinois, approach to the famous Eads Bridge spanning the Mississippi River. The President and Mrs. Cleveland stepped off the train to be greeted by Mayor Francis. The Presi­ dential party then entered the mayor's carriage for the ride across a brightly illuminated bridge from which was hung a huge banner with the words, "Welcome to St. Louis." The arrival of the President on Missouri soil was heralded by the shrieking of steamboat and tug whistles and the cheers of a throng waiting along Washington Avenue.35

32 St. Louis Missouri Republican, July 30, 1887. 33 S£. Louis Evening Chronicle, July 31, 1887. 34 St. Louis Globe-Democrat, September 28, 1887. 35 St. Louis Missouri Republican, October 2, 1887. 5SP;:

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President and Mrs. Cleveland viewing Veiled Prophet Pageant. Harper's Weekly, October 15, 1887 Public Quarrels and Private Plans 13

The carriage ride culminated almost eight months of political maneuvering, recrimination, and public furor. Neither Grover Cleveland nor David Francis knew what the future held for them or exactly howT the past months had helped shape that future. For Cleveland, the months were but a prelude to a painful election defeat in 1888. For Francis, however, the effects of those months were quite different and soon apparent. Shortly after the President returned to Washington, one St. Louis newspaper, not particularly friendly to Francis, conducted an early straw poll of gubernatorial preferences. It wired editors of all the normally Democratic newspapers in the state, asking for their choice for governor. The St. Louis paper termed the result 'surprising." Thirty editors listed David Francis as their first choice, with more votes than any other potential candidate.36 The bitter quarrel between the veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic and Grover Cleveland may have unmade a Presi­ dent, but at the same time it helped produce the next Governor of the State of Missouri.

'>St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 21, 1887.

Beauty Notes Macofi Daily Chronicle, February 4, 1913. Even the prettiest nose looks bad in other people's business. . . . Trampling on other people's feelings is the worst possible thing for the feet. Hard lines about the mouth can frequently be removed by the reasonable use of a smile. Eyes can be brightened effectively by looking on the pleasant side of life.

Lively Movement in Cheese Fulton Telegraph, May 9, 1873. On Monday last some gentlemen from Martinsburg brought to our city a wagon load of cheese, which they were selling on the streets. Our citizens were crowding around the wagon, and cheese was reported as "lively," when the horses became frightened and put off at a breakneck pace, going in the direc­ tion of the Asylum. The cry at once arose, "Save the cheese." At the bridge, near the Baptist church, the wagon tilted over and emptied the entire load down the steep declivity. Ah! "then there was hurrying to and fro," with a great deal more of the to than fro. It was a moving sight to see the beautiful, rich, yellow rolls of cheese moving down the hill, of their own seeming accord, and the crowds of citizens and hogs, as with one mind, moving to the rescue. A part of the load was recovered intact, a part in a dam (don't divide this word) aged condition, and a part was brisk enough to escape entirely. BENJAMIN F. STRINGFELLOW: THE FIGHT FOR SLAVERY ON THE MISSOURI BORDER

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BY LESTER B. BALTIMORE*

Benjamin F. Stringfellow Kansas State Hist. Soc.

*Mr. Baltimore, a native of Lynn, Massachusetts, received his A.B. degree from Hiram College and his M.A. in History from the University of Missouri at Columbia. He is now completing his Ph.D. in History at the latter institution and wishes to acknowledge a grant from the Floyd Calvin Shoemaker Fund in Missouri History which aided in the research for this article.

14 Benjamin F. Stringfellow 15

Of the many events which combined in a peculiar fashion to bring about the Civil War, there was probably no single one which created more hostility than the passage of the Kansas- Nebraska Act.1 There was almost instantaneous reaction to this Act which left responsibility for the status of slavery in the ter­ ritories to the settlers. Previously, the Missouri Compromise had specifically prohibited slavery north of the 36° 30' line with the exception of Missouri. Eli Thayer, a Massachusetts educator, char­ tered the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Society for the purpose of populating Kansas with New Englanders and eventually bringing her into the Union as a free state. It was soon rechartered as the New England Emigrant Aid Society, and by July, 1854, the first settlers emigrating under its auspices reached Kansas Territory and founded the town of Lawrence.2 Although it is impossible to estimate accurately the number which came to Kansas with free- state intentions, the press reacted in a manner designed to augment the already uneasy feelings in western Missouri.3 The New Englanders were not the only ones desirous of set­ tling Kansas. Only a few days after the Kansas-Nebraska Bill was passed a citizens' organization met at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Territory, to suggest a code of laws for the area. On June 10, 1854, passage of a resolution by this group favoring protection of land claims of all men except abolitionists reveals the type of settlers they desired.4 A number of similar organizations were formed in western Missouri. Platte County, on the Missouri-Kansas border, had 16,845 residents in 1850. Of this number 2,798 were Negro slaves.5 By 1860 the population had increased to 18,350 and the number of slaves had risen to 3,313.6 The area around Weston and Platte City

i Roy F. Nichols, "The Kansas-Nebraska Act: A Century of Historiography," Mississippi Valley Historical Review, XLIII (September, 1956) , 187-213. 2 Samuel A. Johnson, The Battle Cry of Freedom: The New England Emigrant Aid Company in the Kansas Crusade (Lawrence, Kans., 1954) , 75. 3 An excellent study of role of the press in the border troubles is Bernard A. Weisberger, "The Newspaper Reporter and the Kansas Imbroglio," Mississippi Valley Historical Review, XXXVI (March, 1950), 633-656; William E. Parrish, David Rice Atchison of Missouri, Border Politician (Columbia, Mo., 1961) , 162- 4 Frederick Starr to his Father, August 1, 1854, in Frederick Starr Papers, State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia; William M. Paxton, Annals of Platte County, Missouri (Kansas City, 1897), 178. 5 United States Census Office, The Seventh Census of the United States, An Appendix, 1850 (Washington, 1853) , 655. 6 United States Census Office, Population of the United States in 1860; Compiled from the Original Returns of the 8th Census (Washington, 1864), 276-283. •

had a rather heavy concentration of slaves. Even though other counties had more bondsmen, Platte County was by far the leading hemp county in the state, pro­ ducing 4,345 tons in 1850.7 Hemp planta­ tions were able to utilize large gangs of slaves. The owners, like slave owners everywhere, were extremely sensitive about any tampering with the "peculiar institu­ tion." These sensitive feelings were first aroused by the formation on June 13, 1854, \ From portrait owned by of the Leavenworth Association, an organ­ L. W. Atchison ization having no relationship to the Leav­ David R. Atchison enworth group which had met three days earlier. Platte County proslavery extremists interpreted the formation of the Leavenworth Association as part of an attempt to settle Kansas with abolitionists. Slaveholders in the area became more disturbed when four Negro slaves escaped July 8, 1854, from their Platte County owners. To many proslavery men there was no question that the fugitives had been lured away by Leavenworth abolitionists.8 One man who saw them in this manner was Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow.

Stringfellow, born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, September 3, 1816, the son of a planter, was educated by tutors in preparation for a legal career. He came to Missouri in 1838 and began his law practice at Keytesville. He was elected to the state legislature from Chariton County in 1844 as an anti-Benton Democrat. From 1845 until 1849 he served as attorney general of the State. From having held this office, Stringfellow obtained the honorary title of "General." He was a slave holder (in 1850 he owned only one female slave), and his sympathies were with the South. He moved to Weston in 1853.9 He had long been associated with Senator

"' Seventh Census, 680. 8 Diary of H. Miles Moore, July 9, 1854, July 11, 1854, in Western Ameri­ cana Collection, Yale University Library, Manuscripts Division, microfilm copy in Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka; Starr to his Father, September 19, 1854, in Starr Papers; newspaper clipping, in ibid. 9 Unpublished Manuscript Census, 1850, Chariton County, Missouri, Sche­ dule 2, Slave Inhabitants; The United States Biographical Dictionary—Kansas (Chicago & Kansas City, 1879), 689-691; Paxton, Annals of Platte County, 178; Howard L. Conard, ed., Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri (St. Louis, 1901), VI, 115. Benjamin F. Stringfellow 17

David Rice Atchison. With Atchison, Stringfellow issued a call for a meeting in Weston to discuss the Kansas affair.10 On July 12, 1854, this appeal was sent out to the people of W7eston, admonishing them that "Privileges and Power are too fast Slipping From the Many to the Few?? [sic].... Great questions of solemn right will be presented to the meeting . . . ," and asking them to attend on July 15.13- At this assembly Stringfellow accused some members of the Leavenworth Association of being guilty of abolitionism and offered a series of resolutions concerning the set­ tlement of Kansas. His resolutions were defeated, however, and he was unable to form a permanent coalition to further his proslavery aims for the new territory.12 Within a few days another meeting was called for July 20. Ostensibly it was to deal with the problem of abolitionists stealing slaves or inducing them to run away.13 According to one anti- slavery observer, the fact that four Negroes had absconded was merely a pretext for the group of proslavery men to vent their latent malice on all who disagreed with them.14 The meeting took place on the scheduled day and those in attendance organized the Platte County Self-Defensive Association. Stringfellow was elected secretary.15 The organization drew up a set of resolutions which asserted that the value of slaves was being diminished due to abolitionist activity. Because of this, they affirmed their right to investigate anyone whom they suspected of free-soilism. Dealings with slaves by white people, other than their owners, were stigmatized as in­ herently evil. Moreover, they averred that safety required the ex­ pulsion of all free Negroes. The resolutions were passed and signed by the president, George Galloway, and by Stringfellow.16 At an­ other meeting on August 12, Stringfellow offered a series of pro­ posals which recognized slavery as a positive good, and stated

loparrish, David Rice Atchison, 162* ii Broadside entitled, "A Call to the People," July 12, 1854, in Starr Papers; Diary of H. Miles Moore, July 12, 1854; Milton E. Bierbaum, "Frederick Starr, A Missouri Border Abolitionist: The Making of a Martyr," MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW, LVIII (April, 1964) , 317. 12 Diary of H. Miles Moore, July 15, 1854; Starr to his Father, August 21, 1854, in Starr Papers. 13 Newspaper clipping from Platte Argus, in Starr Papers; Starr to his Father, September 19, 1854, in ibid. 14 Starr to his Father, September 19, 1854, in Starr Papers. 15 Ibid; newspaper clipping, in ibid.; Bierbaum, "Frederick Starr," 318; Parrish, David Rice Atchison, 162. 16 Newspaper clipping from Platte Argus, in Webb's Scrapbook, I, in Kansas State Historical Society, Library Division, Topeka. 18 Missouri Historical Review

that such a beneficent institution should be extended into Kansas Territory.17 Although it is impossible to judge the group's prominence at any time, some of its practices were almost certain to antagonize particular segments of the community from the beginning. Many merchants, for example, who might have had no strong feelings concerning slavery were opposed to the group after it passed a Non-Intercourse Resolution which declared that, "We will trade with our friends—our enemies we will let alone, so long as they let us alone!" Friends were defined as those people who came from slaveholding states.18 Following the passage of these resolutions, a meeting was called for September 1, by some irate citizens. Stringfellow and his associates tried to belittle this effort, characterizing it as a gathering of abolitionists, but it was described by one observer as the largest gathering he had seen in the town. This group re­ solved that they would trade freely. Significantly, they deprecated the anti-Union spirit of the Self-Defensive Association.19 Dissension soon developed within the Platte County Self- Defensive Association. Apparently, Stringfellow was somewhat too radical for the majority of the members. On August 12, he offered a series of resolutions, three of which defined slavery as a positive good and one that expressed approval of extending it to Kansas. Only the Kansas resolve and the least extreme proslavery measure were passed by the members.20 Even though there probably was little sympathy in Missouri for the free Negro or the abolitionist, there was some concern about the Associations self-appointed power to investigate suspected abolitionists, and their equally presumptuous power of expelling the free Negro from the State.21 However, the vigilantism of the group resulted in a series of events which thoroughly antagonized many of the townspeople, forcing them to give up their neutrality or apathy and to enlist on one side of the slavery question or the other.

17 Newspaper clipping, in Starr Papers. 18 Ibid.; Starr to his Father, November 29, 1854, in ibid. 19 Diary of H. Miles Moore, September 1, 1854; Broadside calling the meet­ ing, August 31, 1854, in Starr Papers; Broadside giving the resolutions, Sep­ tember 1, 1854, in ibid. 20 Newspaper clipping, in Starr Papers; Starr to his Father, February 26, 1885, in ibid. 21 Newspaper clipping, in ibid.; Diary of H. Miles Moore, August 21, 1854. On July 29, Frederick Starr was "tried" by the Association and forced to state his views on the institution of Negro slavery. He was a Presbyterian minister from Rochester, New York, and came to Weston in 1850 as a representative of the American Home Missionary Society. Like all the missionaries from this organization, Starr was decidedly antislavery.22 When he de­ clared the institution to be a political and moral evil, Stringfellow rose to answer New York Public Library these heretical sentiments.23 He delivered Frederick Starr a tirade against the Northern states, Starr, and all the antislavery forces in the local area. One of the listeners, H. Miles Moore, an attorney in Weston and at this time a proslavery advocate, accused Stringfellow of spe­ cifically branding every man who worked for his living as a slave, and every woman who did so as a prostitute. Moore argued that the speech was a defense of slavery in the abstract, and that String­ fellow had asserted the slave states were the only places where men could be truly free. Furthermore, he declared Stringfellow implied Southern civilization as a whole was far superior to that of the North.24 The reaction to Stringfellow's speech was immediate and in­ tense. His remarks made a very unfavorable general impression and they became the major topic of conversation in the town.25 J. H. McHolland, who had been in league with Stringfellow, felt it ex­ pedient to print a note in the paper explaining that he did not

22 Bierbaum, "Frederick Starr," 312. 23 Diary of H. Miles Moore, July 29, 1854; Starr to his Father, February 22, 1855, in Starr Papers; Bierbaum, "Frederick Starr," 323. The actual speech by Stringfellow is, unfortunately, lost. However, there remains Moore's Diary, his published report of the speech, Stringfellow's attack on the report, a rebuttal to the attack, and Starr's letters to his Father. Newspaper clipping entitled "H. Miles Moore to Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow," August 2, 1854, Weston Reporter, in Starr Papers; Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow, "An Abolition Trick Exposed," August 7, 1854, in ibid.; H. Miles Moore, "An Abolition Trick Exposed! Eh?" August 12, 1854, in ibid. For Moore's political sympathies con­ cerning Kansas see House Report No. 200, 34th Cong., 1st Sess., 422, Testimony of Moore, hereinafter cited as Howard Report; James C. Malin, On the Nature of History (Lawrence, Kans., 1954), 129-154. 24 Diary of H. Miles Moore, July 29, 1854; Starr to his Father, February 22, 1855, in Starr Papers; Stringfellow, "An Abolition Trick Exposed," in ibid. 25 Diary of H. Miles Moore, July 29, 1854; ibid., July 30, 1854; Starr to his Father, February 22, 1855, in Starr Papers. 20 Missouri Historical Review share Stringfellow's views.-'1 There was some talk of a duel, or less sophisticated personal engagement, between Stringfellow and Moon\ but nt did not materialize. Also, each time Stringfellow tried to explain or qualify his remarks he further damaged his cause.-7 In spite of his denying that lie had called working men slaves, his defense of the institution of slavery led him to an in­ tellectual position which, in fact, was very similar to that point of view. Feelings became so intense that there was some talk of driving Stringfellow and his law partner, Peter Abell, out of town, but this never materialized.-8 In the series of charges and countercharges which followed his speecli, Stringfellow made his attitude on this issue still more evident. Although he attempted to prove that he had not termed working men slaves nor working women prostitutes, he explained that where Negro slavery did not exist the white laborer was de­ graded. According to him, the presence of an inferior race ennobled the man of white skin. No matter how menial their task, whites treated one another as equals since they belonged to a superior caste. But, where there was no slavery, the white worker was re­ duced to an inferior position. "I love the white race," he declared: . . . those of my own color—more than I do the negro. 1 do not believe that the white man or white woman is fitted for slavery! I prefer seeing the white race free— the negro a slave. I am not willing to have a white man or white woman call me master! ... If any white man or white woman wish to be slaves they must not ask me to be their master. It is too repulsive to my nature! I wish to see the white man if honest, and the white woman if vir­ tuous . . . free to meet another as an equal . . . too proud to be a slave . . . [who] will scorn to call any save God master. Who would rather starve in the ditch than wear the gilded trappings of a pampered animal.29 Besides his emotional defense of Negro slavery, Stringfellow denounced the people whom he felt were distorting his words. Moore was characterized as a dupe of the abolitionists—those vile men who were trying to prejudice honest people against the Self-Defensive Association and its secretary. "The abolitionists."

-«; Newspaper clipping entitled, "J. H. MeHolland to the Public," in Starr Papers, 27 Diary of 11. Miles Moore. August 2-6. IS55; ibid., August 12-15; Starr to his Father, February 22, 1855. ibid.. February 26, 1855. in Starr papers. 2S Starr to his Father. February 2(>, 1855. in Starr Papers. —•Stringfellow, "An Abolition Trick Exposed." in ibid.: Stan to his Father, February 2n\ 1855, in ibid. Benjamin F. Stringfellow 21

claimed Stringfellow, ". . . love the negro so well, they would have him free; love the white so little they would have them slaves. They think that the whites make better slaves than the blacks."30 Both the intensity of his defense of Negro slavery and his personal at­ tacks on his opponents typify Stringfellow's rhetoric. They reveal the level on which much of the battle for Kansas was fought. They also indicate the degree of difficulty which existed for anyone trying to seek a neutral ground or to compromise the issues. The Platte County Self-Defensive Association remained intact for several months after the debate, but it never regained any standing in the community. It did not die without effect, however. Its existence, and the existence of similar groups in Missouri, helped polarize opinion on the slavery question. In Platte County, as in the rest of the nation, people were being forced to take a stand on the slavery issue. Issues wrere being defined in a way which made neutrality impossible.31 As local hostility weakened the power of the Association, Stringfellow became known throughout the nation. In 1854 he wrote Negro Slavery; No Evil; or the North and the South. The text was widely quoted in Northern and Southern papers and the New England Emigrant Aid Society felt it important enough to publish a rebuttal by D. R. Goodloe.32 Stringfellow continued to engage in proslavery activities along the Missouri-Kansas border. At times he acted under the auspices of the Platte County Self-Defensive Association and, at times, on his own. Using the Association as their sponsor, Stringfellow, his broth­ er John, and David Rice Atchison stumped western Missouri in the winter of 1854 for the purpose of forming various "blue lodges." These were created to supply aid to the proslavery forces in the Territory in case of abolitionist attack.33 The "malodorous" nature of abolitionists, and the caution needed because of their presence were major themes of every speech made and every action taken by Stringfellow:

30 Stringfellow, "An Abolition Trick Exposed," in ibid.; Starr to his Father, February 26, 1855, in ibid. 31 See Webb's Scrapbooks, I-IV, for numerous examples of newspapers ex­ pressing hostility to the extremism of Stringfellow and the Association. 32 See ibid, for numerous comments on the publication; Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow, Negro Slavery; No Evil; or the North and the South (St. Louis, 1854) ; also published in the Atchison Squatter Sovereign, February 3-20, 1855; also published in Two Tracts for the Times (Boston, 1855) ; D. R. Goodloe, "Is it Expedient to Introduce Slavery into Kansas?" in ibid. 33 Parrish, David Rice Atchison, 163. 22 Missouri Historical Review

. . . but when we find these miscalled emigrants really negro-thieves, their purpose not to procure a home in Kansas, but to drive slaveholders therefrom; that they are not freemen, but paupers who have sold themselves to Ely [sic] Thayer & Co., to do their master's bidding, who hesitate not to proclaim that they are expert in steal­ ing slaves; that they intend to do their calling, self-defence requires that means equally efficient should be adopted by those who are threatened.34 Such a defensive maneuver was performed on April 14, 1855, when the Parkville Industrial Luminary was destroyed by the Kan­ sas League.35 A meeting in Clay County affirmed a series of resolutions approving this action. After these resolves were passed Stringfellow addressed the gather­ ing. One can only asume that he approved of this course of action.30 In a number of speeches String­ fellow urged his listeners to go to Kansas and settle there if they could. If unable to do this, he urged them to go and stay there at least until the Territory was se­ cured for slavery.37 He reportedly went to Kansas himself in June, 1855, and engaged in fisticuffs with the antislavery territorial gov­ ernor, Andrew H. Reeder.38 When civil war finally broke out in Kan­ sas, Stringfellow was in the midst of it.39 He was also believed to be- Andrew H. Reeder

34 Stringfellow, Negro Slavery, 4. 35 Parrish, David Rice Atchison, 175. The Industrial Luminary was highly critical of the techniques used by proslavery Missourians in the Kansas election of March 30, 1855. It was not an abolitionist newspaper. 36 Liberty Tribune, April 27, 1855. 3 7 Diarv of H. Miles Moore, March 5 1855; St. Louis Republican, March 23, 1855. 38 Diary of H. Miles Moore, June 27, 1855; Shalor Winchill Eldridge, "Recollections of Early Days in Kansas," Publications of the Kansas State His- torical Society, II (1920) , 40. 39 Diary of H. Miles Moore, December 6, 1855; Daniel W. Wilder, The Annals of Kansas (Topeka, 1875), 105. See also Daniel Woodson to Missrs [sic] Kelley & [J. H.] Stringfellow, November 28, 1855, in Daniel Woodson Papers! Kansas State Historical Society, Manuscripts Division, Topeka. Benjamin F. Stringfellow 23

long to a party that was boarding boats bearing prospective settlers in order to remove the free-soilers aboard.40 As the tension mounted in Kansas, accusations grew more heated and more ominous. President Franklin Pierce removed Reeder from office on July 28, 1855, but this did not assuage the feelings of either side. In 1856, Stringfellow, Atchison, and other proslavery leaders issued a call to arms. On August 16, proslavery forces began to muster on the border and published a warning that abolitionists had begun the process of expelling every pro- slavery settler. This bulletin proclaimed that the civil war had com­ menced.41 A week later another broadside was sent out with the warning, "The Abolitionists proclaim that 'no quarter will be given!' 'Every Pro-Slavery man must be exterminated.' What will be your reply?"42 The bellicose nature of such advice gave little hope that bloodshed could be avoided. The pleas were aimed at passion rather than reason. The issue which generated such intense emo­ tions was, of course, slavery. Its supporters had come to consider it a positive good. In August, 1854, Stringfellow had offered resolu­ tions to the Platte County Association to that effect. To him, slavery was beneficial in all possible ways. It recognized the de­ gradation of the Negro, but it elevated the white man; it improved the health, morality, and well-being of both races. Stringfellow cited the United States Census figures to prove these "facts."43 Although his arguments followed the same basic line of reasoning as that of Thomas R. Dew and George Fitzhugh, defenders of slavery in the South, there can be noticed in Stringfellow's pam­ phlet, Negro Slavery, a greater sense of urgency than in the writings of the others. He added no new ideas to the economic arguments of Dew, or the social arguments of Fitzhugh. But, his continual reiteration of the dangers which existed for slavery if it were not vigorously defended is absent in the works of the other men. As the national debate on slavery became more intense, its defenders became less philosophic and more concerned with immediate

40 Diary of H. Miles Moore, June 24, 1856. 41 William G. Cutler, ed., History of the State of Kansas (Chicago, 1883), 143-144. 42 Ibid., 144; Atchison [Kans.] Squatter Sovereign, August 26, 1856. 43 Newspaper clipping, August 12, 1854, in Starr Papers; Stringfellow, Negro Slavery. 24 Missouri Historical Review problems.44 And, as it did in the deep South, the "positive good" argument forced people to be either for or against slavery since moral issues do not allow for neutrality. But there was more in­ volved in this fight than just expanding a beneficent institution into a new area. Far more important than this was the fear that slaver\r in Missouri and the entire South would be endangered by a free Kansas. Stringfellow. departing with Senator Atchison on December 6. 1854, went to Washington, D. C, Virginia, and Maryland as an agent of Platte and Buchanan counties to enlist aid for the Kansas contest.45 While in the capital, Stringfellow tried to con­ vince Southern Congressmen of the importance of immediate coloni­ zation of Kansas. He argued that the presence of some two thou­ sand slaves in the territory would insure it for slavery. Once present, no one would be able to move them out.46 During the next year Atchison and Stringfellow sent numerous appeals to the South, many of which warned of an impending doom to the South's cause. One result of these appeals was the ill-fated Buford Expedition. Major Jefferson Buford, of Alabama, financed the settlement of a number of Southerners in Kansas, but his efforts had little affect on the course of Kansas politics.47 Warnings of danger to slavery were supplemented by other appeals to lure Southerners to Kansas. Its agricultural richness was vividly described: "Kansas is indeed the garden spot of Ameri­ ca, . . ." It was asserted that slave labor would surely be extremely profitable there.48 Those desiring to hire out their slaves could obtain a higher return in Kansas than elsewhere. From the stand-

44 Thomas R. Dew, "Review of the Debate in the Virginia Legislature of 1831 and 1832," reprinted in The Pro-Slavery Argument; as Maintained by . . . Chancellor Harper, Governor Hammond, Dr. Simms, and Professor Dew (Charleston. 1852) ; George Fitzhugh, "Slavery Justified, by a Southerner," re­ printed in Sociology for the South, or the Failure of Free Society (Richmond. 1854) : Stringfellow, Negro Slavery. 45 Parrish, David Rice Atchison, 167; Benjamin Stringfellow to Abiel Leon­ ard, December 6, 1854, in Abiel Leonard Papers, State Historical Society of Mis­ souri, Columbia. 46 Elmer Lerov Craik, "Southern Interests in Territorial Kansas, 1854- 1858.*' Collections ' of the Kansas Historical Society, XV (1919-1922), 345: Mary J. Klem, "Missouri in the Kansas Struggle," Proceedings of the Mississippi i alley Historical Association, IX (May, 1919), 395; Parrish, David Rice Atchison, 168. 4 7 For an excellent account see, Walter L. Fleming, "Buford Expedition to Kansas" American Historical Review, VI (October, 1900) , 38-48. 48 David R. Atchison, William H. Russell, Joseph C. Anderson, Benjamin Franklin Stringfellow, J. Buford, "The Voice of Kansas—Let the South Respond," DeBoxv's Review, XXI (August, 1856), 191. Benjamin F. Stringfellow 25 point of safety Kansas was ideal, for there was no freestate on its borders.49 Although a highly desirable location for slavery, Kansas was unsuitable for small farmers. The prairie required that a person be able to control a large number of laborers to work his holdings if a profit were to be realized. Stringfellow7, in a letter to four South­ ern Congressmen, argued that it was ". . . the least desirable country to the poor man ever opened for settlement."50 Probably as an after­ thought, he added that by a poor man he meant a poor farmer only. For the destitute individual who was a skilled worker, Kansas offered wonderful opportunities: "To all mechanics who are not Abolitionists, I will guarantee ample compensation." This letter was circulated widely in the national press and was attacked or de­ fended, depending on the viewpoint of the paper printing it. It brought Stringfellow's name before the nation and to many Northerners his extreme position was probably considered rep­ resentative of the proslavery faction.51 Like so many of his contemporaries, Stringfellow thought that slavery had to expand in order to exist. If slavery were extended then it would continue; if halted, the continual onslaughts from the forces of abolition would make its days numbered. Thus, the major attempts to fan Southern interest were couched in terms of the dire consequences which would follow if Missouri did not receive help in her fight for slavery. It was not only profitable for the slave owners to come to Kansas; it was politically necessary.52 Early in the struggle, Stringfellow professed a confidence that, if need be, Missourians could win the victory by themselves.53 But this confident mood soon passed. Less than a year after stating that Missourians could do it alone, he w7as visualizing the defeat of the proslavery forces—if they did not soon receive massive num­ bers of replacements from the South. Such recruits would shore up waning confidence and reinforce the desire for victory of those already there.54

49 Benjamin Stringfellow to "My Dear Sir," October 6, 1855, reprinted in Atchison Squatter Sovereign, December 4, 1855. 50 Benjamin Stringfellow to Preston S. Brooks, Thomas Klingman, William Smith, and John McQueen, printed in the New York Tribune and Washington Sentinel and numerous other papers, January, February, 1855, in Webb's Scrap- book, III. 51 Ibid. 52 Stringfellow to "My Dear Sir," October 6, 1855; Floyd C. Shoemaker, "Missouri's Proslavery Fight for Kansas, 1854-55," MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW, XLVIII (July, 1954), 340. 53 Stringfellow to "My Dear Sir," October 6, 1855. 54 Stringfellow, et. al., "The Voice of Kansas," 191. 26 Missouri Historical Review

Stringfellow wanted to expose fully the dangers which existed for slave property in Missouri. He hoped to arouse people in all of the states to this danger for, he argued, if everyone were knowl­ edgeable about the slavery issue then the evil results might be avoided.55 According to him, abolitionists had set out to surround Missouri with freestates and then force her to abolish slavery. With Missouri and Kansas as levers, pressure could be applied to Texas and Arkansas until they were forced to follow suit: Fanatical aggression cannot be quieted by giving. but it may be by taking away the power to effect its ends. All fair minds who have looked this question full in the face, know and admit that it is not merely a question of whether Kansas shall be a slave state or not, but a question of whether the entire South shall not become the victim of misguided philanthropy. That man or State is deceived that fondly trusts these fanatics may stop at Kansas.56 The entire fabric of the Union depended upon restraining mis­ guided individuals from making Kansas a free state. The dissolu­ tion of the Union would surely follow the success of the free- staters. The abolitionists, because of their zealous nature, were certain to be very industrious in their work. Diligence was needed to retain slavery where it existed, and more effort was required to spread it into new areas.57 Stringfellow asserted that the South had not done her part in settling the Kansas Territory. Why should Missourians have to de­ populate their own state in order to save Kansas for the South? With help, Missouri could put the South "out of danger" for the present, and also for the future. It alarmed Stringfellow that planters were often quick to accept the warnings of those who cautioned that the area was not suited for plantation slavery. Since Missourians had been able to hold forth so long by them­ selves, Southerners should have felt encouraged about moving into the virgin land. Despite their initial successes, the proslavery men knew that they needed help to champion the cause of the South against the combined legions of the North. So far they had been able to carry the elections in Kansas; for ultimate victory they had to continue to do so. The elections in Kansas during the 1850s and the story of Missourians crossing the border to vote for slavery have been

55 Stringfellow, Negro Slavery, 3. 5« Stringfellow, et. al., "The Voice of Kansas," 191. 57 Ibid., 187; Stringfellow to Preston Brooks, et. al., January 24, 1855. Benjamin F. Stringfellow 27

readily recognized as essential elements in the course of events leading to the Civil War. Historians may disagree as to the actual number of persons involved, but the impact on national opinion cannot be denied. Governor Reeder set the election for a territorial representative for November 29, 1854. The proslavery forces pre­ ferred an earlier date to prevent a new wave of New England emigrants from voting. Reeder thus earned the lasting hatred of proslavery advocates. Atchison, Stringfellow and their followers went through western Missouri exhorting people to cross the border and vote on election day in Kansas. Stringfellow explained to those who might have doubts regarding the legality of such action that if they were present at the polls on election day that would be proof enough of residency. According to him, any man present election day was a legal voter. Everyone had a legal right to go there for that purpose.58

58 Craik, "Southern Interest in Territorial Kansas," 346. The same type of argument was used for all of the early Kansas elections, not only for the one on November 29, 1854.

Kansas State Hist. Soc. Preemption House, Lawrence, Kansas, 1854. This house was the polling place of the first territorial legislature.

TIM* 28 Missouri Historical Review

In preparation for the March 30, 1855, election of a territorial legislature Stringfellow drew up a document which became known as "Stringfellow's Exposition," although lie did not sign it.5'* This "Exposition" listed the rules for voting in Kansas as Stringfellow interpreted them. Again he asserted that anyone who could get to the polls on election day had the right to vote.0" Stringfellow went to Kansas on March 30, 1855, and urged all those present to cast their ballots. Of the many proslavery advocates he. apparently, was the only one to urge such completely unrestricted voting.0,1 In the Fourteenth District, Burr Oak Precinct, where Stringfellow was present on March 30, the proslavery faction had such a large ma­ jority that the freestaters felt it safer to abstain from voting. There is no proof, but it is more than possible that the actions of extremists like Stringfellow in corrupting the nature of free elections turned many neutrals or moderates to the freestate side.62 Stringfellow had reason to be satisfied with the results of the first elections. He was especially pleased when the legislature adopted Missouri's Code of Laws, with the addition of a more stringent Black Code.6* His own account is worth noting: They have now laws more efficient to protect slave- property than any other state in the Union; these laws have just taken effect, and have already silenced Abolitionists, for in spite their heretofore boasting, they know they will be enforced to the very letter, and with the utmost rigor.64 On election day of October 6, 1855, the freestaters boycotted the polls and the proslavery candidate John Whitefield was elected to Congress. A series of other elections took place under the same or similar conditions. After the election to organize a territorial government, both sides began to boycott any election which they thought their opponents might win. Because of this, no election could have much significance as a test of attitudes on slavery. The status of Kansas was finally settled on October 4, 1859, when an antislavery constitution was adopted with all groups voting.65

59 Howard Report, Testimony of Osborne Harlan, 318; "Stringfellow's Exposition," copy in Starr Papers. 60 "Stringfellow's Exposition,'" in Stan Papers. 61 Howard Report, Testimony of A. M. Mitchell, 329-330; Testimony of A. A. Jamison, 299; Testimony of William P. Richardson, 306. 62 See in ibid., the Testimony of H. Miles Moore, 422. 63 See Daniel W. Wilder, Annals of Kansas (Topeka, 1875) , 57-39. 64 Stringfellow to "My Dear Sir,'* October 6, 1855; Shoemaker. "Missouri's Proslavery Fight for Kansas," 340. 65 William Frank Zornow, Kaiisas: A History of the Jay hawk State (Nor­ man. Okla., 1957) , contains a resume of all the territorial elections. 69-86. Benjamin F. Stringfellow 29

Of course, Stringfellow's fears for the fate of Kansas were borne out. In spite of all his appeals, the Southern planter refused to risk valuable property in a place where he felt it would be neither safe nor profitable. On the eve of the Civil War there were but two slaves in Kansas. How then might we judge this chapter of Stringfellow's life? There is evidence to suggest that not all of his activities in this period were as frustrated as those in behalf of the proslavery cause. In 1855 there was some speculation that he might run for the Missouri Supreme Court.66 Even though he declined to enter the contest, the fact that speculation occurred shows that he retained his prominence as a lawyer despite his other activities. Also, during this period, he was quite active in support of the Democratic party, campaigning for its candidates with considerable success.67 In spite of his bombastic rhetoric and emotional appeals, String­ fellow must have been something of a realist. In 1859, after the fate of Kansas had been decided, he accepted the result and moved to Atchison. There he became active in railroad promotion. Thus, a man who stirred intense emotions regarding the need to defend and extend slavery moved to a free state by choice. When the fight­ ing began in 1861, his own economic interests dictated that he, like his fellow Kansans, remain safely within the Union. These same interests had so influenced his outlook that in 1872 he cam­ paigned for the Republican party and Ulysses S. Grant.68 Railroad interests, then, replaced slavery as Stringfellow's main concern. Yet, his significance in the fight for slavery lay in the fact that he was able to define for many people the terms of the struggle. His outspokenness forced these persons to one of two extremes. But extremist though he wras, Stringfellow saw the issue of slavery clearly, realizing that it had to be defended with intensity lest it be destroyed. He was caught in the highly pitched moral battle of his day. Through an understanding of the thought and action of Benjamin Stringfellow one can gain a great deal of insight into the political and social struggles of the 1850s.

66 Burnes, I. N. & C. F., to Abiel Leonard, November 24, 1854, in Leonard Papers. 67 Notes on Speech of Benjamin F. Stringfellow at Platte City, Missouri, February 4, 1856, in Kansas State Historical Society, Manuscripts Division, Topeka. 68 Malin, On the Nature of History, 227; United States Biographical Dic­ tionary—Kansas, 692-694; Johnson, Battle Cry of Freedom, 282. #6i* m m^

U«

BANKING IN EARLY MISSOURI Part IT

BY HARRY S. GLEICK*

The operation of currency issuing banks had been seriously interfered with by the Second Bank of the United States. By pre­ senting the notes of state banks for payment in compelling their redemption it forced the banks out of business. The state banks were compelled to conform to the standard of credit set by the national bank. But with the failure of the attempt to renew the bank charter the chief restraint upon unsound note issues was withdrawn, and

*An Ohioan by birth, Dr. Gleick received the A.B., LL.B. and J.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin. He was admitted to the Mis­ souri Bar in 1917 and he is a former faculty member of the Washington University and St. Louis University Law Schools. Dr. Gleick has published numerous articles in legal publications.

30 Banking in Early Missouri 81 naturally inordinate inflation resulted. The imprints of a red dog and a wildcat upon bank notes of Michigan banks gave a popular name to the depreciated currency of this period.1 And Illinois, Wisconsin, and Nebraska banks contributed their share to the vast total of cheap paper money that flooded the West.2 Missouri itself had no wildcat banks. The state constitution limited the number of banks to a single one, and as yet that one had not been established. This did not mean, however, that Mis­ sourians were free from the evils that were inflicted upon their neighbors, as the issues of banks of other states poured in upon them from all sides. Frequently state banks of issue floated their notes as far as possible from their place of business so as to prevent their presentation for redemption.3 The branch of the Cincinnati Commercial Agency, founded after the withdrawal of the Branch Bank of the United States,4 was unusually successful. Its prosperity, and the growing opportunities for a strong local bank, aroused the jealousy of the St. Louis mer­ chants,5 for they believed that they, too, could reap profits by or­ ganizing note-issuing banks. Pressure was brought to bear upon the newly elected Governor, Lilburn W. Boggs, to urge upon the legislature the need of a State bank. Governor Boggs had been cashier of the Bank of St. Louis; and in his message he not only urged the establishment of a State bank, but also outlined a charter, many provisions of which were subsequently adopted.6 The legislature acted on the governor's recommendation and chartered a banking institution with a capital of $8,000,000, for a term of twenty years.7 One-half of the 50,000 shares were reserved for the State, to be paid for by an issue of state bonds, and it was provided that the president and six of the thirteen directors were to

i A. B. Hepburn, History of Coinage and Currency in the United States (New York, 1903) , 138-139. 2 Howard L. Conard, ed., Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri (New York, 1901), I, 113. 3 Lucien Carr, Missouri, A Bone of Contention (Cambridge, Mass., 1888) , 164. 4 Harry S. Gleick, "Banking in Early Missouri," MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW, LXI (July, 1967) , Part I, 442. 5 J. Thomas Scharf, History of Saint Louis City and County (Philadelphia, 1883) , II, 1371. For the commercial growth which created a demand for better banking facilities, see Gleick, "Banking in Early Missouri," Pt. I, 442. 6 Annual Message of the Governor in Journal of the Senate, of the State of Missouri, at the First Session of the Ninth General Assembly. . . . (Bowling Green, 1837) , 15-31. 7 Laws of the State of Missouri, Passed at the First Session of the Ninth General Assembly. . . . (Jefferson City, 1837), 11. 32 Missouri Historical Review be elected by the state legislature.8 The state constitution provided for the establishment of five branches. But as this was felt to be inadequate, it was enacted that not less than nine nor more than fifteen bank agencies should be organized, one to be established in each judicial circuit in which there was no branch." The note-issuing power of the bank was restricted to a much greater extent than in the case of its predecessors. The bills and notes issued by the bank Mere in no case to exceed twice the amount of capital stock paid in for the first five years after the bank commenced its issues; after that period it was authorized to in­ crease its issues so as not to exceed two hundred per cent above the amount of capital stock actually paid in.10 The notes were re­ stricted to bills of specified denomination, and there was a specific prohibition on bills of less denomination than ten dollars.11 The bills and notes of the bank payable in gold or silver coin were declared to be receivable in all payments to the State; the State, moreover, was to deposit the public monies in the bank or its branches as long as the bank continued to redeem its notes in gold or silver on presentation.1 - In lieu of all other state taxes the bank was required to pay to the state one-fourth of one per cent annually of the amount of capital stock paid in by the stockholders other than the State.1:1 In addition to this, the State was to receive six per cent per annum on money deposited with it by the State for periods over one year. The bank was also to act as the fiscal agent of the State and, when required, was obliged to negotiate loans for the State, either in the United States or abroad.14 The bank was forbidden to suspend or refuse payment, not only of any of its notes and bills, but also of money received on deposit. In case of a refusal the person entitled to receive the money was entitled to receive twenty per cent interest per annum until he was paid.1"' In case the bank stopped specie payments altogether the charter was to cease and determine, and the bank be placed in the hands of trustees.Hi Arrangements were to be made for the

s Bank Charter, ibid.. Sec I * 5. 13. 11-1." " Ibid., Sec. 34, 20. u» Ibid., Sec. 40, 22. n Ibid., See. 39, 21. \--tlbid., Sec. 41, 21. !•'* Ibid., See. 38, 21. M Ibid.. Sec. 11, 21. i"> Ibid.. See. 3.5, 20. •Hi Ibid.. Sec. 55, 23. Banking in Early Missouri 33 redemption of a portion of the notes at New Orleans, and also at either Baltimore, New York, or Philadelphia.17 Provided that the bank could borrow at a rate of interest not exceeding seven per cent, it was to borrow $2,000,000 during the first two years, and loan it out again through the mother bank and its agencies.18 The obvious purpose of this was to relieve the great demand for money due to the panicky conditions. Another section of the charter provided no individual was "to be given preference in the matter of loans" if the security was good;19 a provision that is explained by the charges against the United States Bank, that the capitalist class enjoyed advantages denied to the Westerners. The Bank of Missouri, or the "Old State Bank," as it came to be called, was soon left in sole possession of the field.20 At the time the agitation for a state bank started a movement to prevent foreign banks from doing business within the State was also begun, and upon the recommendation of the Governor a bill to this effect was drawn up and passed the lower house. The general government was compelled by law to make the state bank the depository of government funds, thus taking this business away from the Cin­ cinnati Agency, which, after some negotiations with the Bank of Missouri, transferred its accounts to the latter institution and closed its agency, thus the new organization had no local competitor.21 The Bank of Missouri was from the beginning a strong, well- managed institution, and exerted an important influence in the West, due for the most part to its conservative policy and well- regulated note issues. It had the advantage of a large capital, and state backing, and by maintaining specie payments supplied a sound currency.22 For a few years the depreciated notes of foreign banks con­ tinued to form the bulk of the circulating medium, as a result of which heavy losses occurred when the mushroom banks collapsed; but in 1839 the bank management announced that it would not receive or pay out the notes of non-specie-paying banks. Public

n Ibid., Sec. 36, 20. 18 Ibid., Sec. 37,20-21. 19 Ibid., Sec. 44,22- 20 Known as the Bank of the State of Missouri, or the "Old State Bank," as distinguished from the Bank of the Territory of Missouri (1817-1822) . 21 Walter Bickford Davis and Daniel S. Durrie, An Illustrated History of Missouri (Cincinnati, 1876), 112. 22 J. J. Knox, History of Banking in the United States (New York, 1900) , 783. 34 Missouri Historical Review opinion was aroused and violent protests were made against this action, but the bank officials refused to change their policy.2' The legislature a few years later passed an "Act to prevent illegal banking, and to suppress the circulation of small bank-notes, and other depreciated currency within the limits of this State," which forbade the passing or receiving by the Bank of Missouri or any private banker of any paper currency of less denomination than ten dollars, and enjoined them altogether from dealing in the notes of non-specie paying banks.24 The rapidly developing population resulted in an ever increas­ ing commerce, and in some ways the Bank of Missouri was inade­ quate to meet the new demands for banking facilities. A Philadel- phian brought with him a plan for organizing a savings bank and secured from the legislature, in 1847, a charter for the Boatmen's Savings Institution,25 a corporation empowered to receive deposits and make loans, but not to issue notes.2" The success of this institution led to the establishment, in 1853, of seven more similar corporations, and two years later the total was increased by sixteen more, and the charter of the Boatmen's Savings Institution was extended.27 The constitutional provision that there was to be no more than a single banking corporation was not interpreted to include savings banks, and it is fortunate that it did not, as the prosperity of some of these new corporations indi­ cates that there was great need for them. The conservative policy of the Bank of Missouri gave an im­ petus to private banking as well as to savings banks.2s Private bank­ ing was carried on in an undesirable manner b\r companies chartered as gas and insurance companies, but whose charters were in terms

-'3 Carr, Missouri, Bone of Contention, 164; Seharf, History of Saint Louis, if, 1372: Charles J. Bullock. Monetary History of the United States (New York, 1900), 85. 2-4 Laws of the State of Missouri, Twelfth General Assembly (Jefferson City, 1843) , 20. In 1851 this act was amended so that money brokers and ex­ change dealers were permitted to receive paper currency of less than ten dol­ lars, provided that in no case were they to put it in circulation again within the limits of the State. Laws of the State of Missouri, Sixteenth General Assem­ bly (Jefferson City, 1851), 57. 25 Semi-Centennial Souvenir of the Boatmen's Bank, St. Louis, Mo.. 18-17- October 18th, 1897 (St. Louis, 189/) . 26 Laws of the State of Missouri, Fourteenth General Assembly (Jefferson City, 1847), 224. -'Laws of the State of Missouri, Seventeenth General Assembly and Laws of the State of Missouri, Eighteenth General Assembly (Regular and Adjourned Sessions) . 28 Walter B. Stevens, St. Louis. The Fourth City, 1764-1911 (St. Louis 1911) 1, 229-230. Banking in Early Missouri 35 so general that without violating them a banking business could be carried on, even to the extent of issuing notes. That this practice was quite extensive is indicated by the tenor of the complaint made by Governor Thomas Reynolds in his annual message in 1842, in which he condemned the issue of notes, not only by industrial corporations, but even by cities, towns and county courts.29 The legislature acted upon his recommendation, and enacted a law providing that no corporation, the Bank of Missouri and its branches excepted, should conduct any banking business whatsoever, and that "all enactments and clauses in any charter or act of incorporation supposed or purporting to confer such privileges—are null and void."30 But as the state constitution and this act applied only to corporations, private banking by individuals and partnerships was lawful, and these firms did a large and profitable busi­ ness;31 in 1854 there were nineteen private banking firms in the State, all but four of which were located in St. Louis.32 The savings institutions and the private banks to some extent were substitutes for banks, and a fortunate feature of this system was that neither could issue notes.33 In spite of all protests against a policy that for a western bank at this time was ultra-conservative, Strauss portrait the Bank of Missouri continued its cautious policy in regard to the Thomas Reynolds issuance of notes. Missouri currency among the best in the country,34 and the stock of the bank

29 Annual Message of the Governor in Journal of the Senate, of the State of Missouri, at the First Session of the Twelfth General Assembly (Jefferson City, 1843) , 16-33; William G. Sumner, History of Banking in the United States, in History of Banking in All Leading Nations, I (Dodsworth, N. Y., 1896) , 412. 30 Laws of the State of Missouri, Twelfth General Assembly, 20. 31 Conard, Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, I, 124. 32 Bankers' Magazine and Statistical Register, IX (July, 1854) , 19-23. 33 Carr, Missouri, Bone of Contention, 165. 34 Sumner, History of Banking, 449; Bankers' Magazine and Statistical Regis­ ter, XIV (July, 1859) ,152. 36 Missouri Historical Review was usually quoted at par.37' The bank secured the confidence of the people not only of Missouri, but throughout the West. In fact, its currency was in circulation as far west as the Pacific Coast, and from Oregon to Mexico. The population of Missouri felt that the bank was not supplying enough currency for use at home; this seems to have been the chief criticism of the bank. But while it is true that the issues never readied the maximum allowed, three hundred percent of the paid-up capital, yet the explanation for the scarcity of its paper in Missouri lies in the fact that the cheap paper money of other states continued in circulation in spite of legislative attempts to prevent this.3*5 The sound money' was driven out by7 the cheap money, nevertheless it was used in the West, where it was known to be absolutely good, by a class of people that would not touch the "Shin-plasters" of the midwestern banks. Whether the criticism of the bank was or was not justified did not make it any the less severe, and in time it had its effect. The people believed that the bank was entirely too conservative, and that it failed utterly to meet the increasing demands for a sound and sufficient medium of exchange. The bank all during this period was practically controlled by the State through the appointment of a majority of the board of directors;!T and the State in 1852 owned nearly a million dollars' worth of stock in the bank.38 The principles of sound banking were being worked out, slow­ ly and gradually, but surely. In Massachusetts the Suffolk Bank of Boston, chartered in 1818, had established a system of redeeming the banknotes of smaller banks at par by compelling them to keep a deposit with it if they wished their notes accepted by it and out of this evolved a clearing-house system for New England bank­ notes.31' A safety-fund system was tried in New York at the recom­ mendation of Governor Martin Van Buren, by the provisions of which the fund was to secure not only the redemption of the notes of insolvent banks, but, after the assets were exhausted, the pay­ ment of all of the liabilities. The payment into the fund was based

35 St. Louis Weekly Reveille, August 4, 1845; "Report of Committee of the General Assembly on the State and Condition of the Bank," Journal of State of Missouri, Seventeenth General Assembly (Jefferson Citv, 1852) . Appendix, 43-120. 36 Carr, Missouri, Bone of Contention. 165; Knox, History of Banking, 784. 37 See p. 38 To be exact, S954.205.22. "Report of Committee to the General Assem­ bly," 1852. 39 D. R. Whitney, The Suffolk Bank (Cambridge, Mass., 1878). Banking in Early Missouri 37

not upon the circulation, but upon the amount of capital stock, which was another weakness of the system, which did not embrace all of the banks of the State.40 In 1838, nine years after the establishment of the safety-fund system, the first "free-banking act" in the country was passed after a political contest in which the "Locofocos" joined with the Whigs.41 The system of banking under special charters had in New York lent itself to abuses growing out of the political situation.42 With the Federalists in control from the very beginning, it was im­ possible for Bepublicans to secure a charter for a bank, but Aaron Burr succeeded in getting a charter for the Manhattan Company, the purpose of which was ostensibly to supply water to the city, but a provision that the surplus funds might be used in "moneyed transactions" gave the company the privilege of banking. The granting of bank charters frequently was involved in political

40 A. K. Fiske, The Modern Bank (New York, 1904), 313; Ibid., "The Old State Banks," Ch. XXXIX, 310-319, is a concise summary of the development of sound banking and currency principles among the various states. 41 The locofocos composed a faction of the Democratic party in New York whose program advocated the suppression of "paper money, curtailment of banking privileges and protection of labor unions." They allied themselves with Jacksonian Democracy. See James Truslow Adams, ed., Dictionary of American History (New York, 1940), III, 292. 42 This seeming digression is undertaken in order to explain the origin of the principles of free-banking which later spread to the western states.

An artist's conception of a board meeting of bank directors which appeared in J. S. Gibbons, The Banks of New York . . . and The Panic of 1857, published in 1859. 38 Missouri Historical Review scandal and corruption, which resulted in a reaction along the lines of banking laws.43 On first trial "free-banking" was a failure, even in New York. There were too many banks organized under the law, and as a re­ sult of bad management there were many bankruptcies. The se­ curities for the notes were usually' of uncertain value and not in­ frequently insufficient in amount and even where these faults were absent there was a lack of elasticity7 in the note issues.44 In spite of the lack of success in New York, other states adopted the principles of free-banking, which became especially- popular in the West. The term "free banking" did not signify what the phrase "banking under general banking laws" means today. Albert Gallatin in one of his letters wrote that he used the term banking "in that sense in which it is universally understood in the United States; that is to say, as implying the permission to issue a paper currency. By free banking, in its general sense, I understand the extension of that permission to all persons . . . free of all restraints, but on his or their personal responsibility."45 At another time he explained that "the term Tree banking; or to speak more correctly, the free issuing of paper money, embraces two distinct propositions; first, that all persons, or associations of persons, should be permitted to issue paper money on the same terms; secondly, that paper money may be issued by all persons or associations without any legislative restriction."46 With this as the underlying motive for free banking, and with a lack of efficient regulation and management, it is not surprising that the states in the Middle West which between 1845 and 1853 enacted free banking laws found that deplorable conditions re­ sulted. The only7 real difference under the new laws seemed to be that after their passage any one could obtain the privilege of float­ ing note issues where before it had been restricted to those who could get a bill through the legislature. Tims at the very time when the population of Missouri was complaining, and rather severely, that the note issues of the State Bank were entirely7 inadequate to meet their demands, the neighbor­ ing states were passing free banking laws. As a result of the pressure brought to bear upon it the legislature drew up and passed a bill.

43Fiske, Modem Bank, 313-311. 44 ibid., 315. 45 Hcnrv Adams, ed., The ]]'ritiu^s of Albert Gallatin (Philadelphia. 1879) . II. .->

47 Laws of the State of Missouri, Eighteenth General Assembly (Jefferson City, 1855), 4-5. The statement in L. Carroll Root, "States as Bankers," Sound Currency, II (April 15, 1895) , 30, that "in 1854 the constitutional inhibition against other banks than the State Bank was removed," is inaccurate. The amendment was proposed at that time, and, according to the state constitution, before becoming a law had to be passed again by the next succeeding General Assembly. 48 The charter was due to expire in 1861. 49 Annual Message of the Governor, Journal of the House of Representa­ tives of the State of Missouri, Nineteenth General Assembly (Jefferson City, 1857), 18. 50 Laws of the State of Missouri, Nineteenth General Assembly (Jefferson City, 1857), 14. Examples of the early banking houses are shown in these two draw­ ings of the Boatmen's Savings Institution in St. Louis. The first building (left) was used from 1847 until the institution moved to its second location (right) in 1850. tions of the country and they grew progressively worse as inexperi­ ence and poverty seemed to make more imperative the necessity for creating something out of nothing."51 The two banks of the United States while in existence furnished a sound paper money, but the political questions involved injured their usefulness. r,~ During this time even in foreign countries the principles of sound banking had not been worked out, and in the United States, particularly in the West, trade and commerce were in the experi­ mental stage.™ After 1836 Missouri was somewhat better off than many of its sister states, because in those states the check upon wildcat notes exercised by the Bank of the United States was withdrawn, and in some states free banking systems had been instituted. On the other hand, the Bank of Missouri pursued the policy that had been fol­ lowed by the national bank, in handling the notes of specie-paying banks only. The inflated issues of other states were to some extent excluded from Missouri; nevertheless legislature and bank were both powerless to prevent the inflow of some cheap currency. In Missouri there was a growth in the number of banking in­ stitutions, including savings banks, after 1847; the state constitu-

5t Charles A. Conant, Histoix of Modern Banks of Issue (New York, 1908) , 310. •"»- Hepburn, History of Coinage and Curreiuv, 139. •"•^ Conant, Modern Banks of Issue. -MO. Banking in Early Missouri 41

tion forbade the institution of more than one bank, but this did not apply to private banks or savings banks. The loans and dis­ counts of the state bank in 1838 amounted to $1,000,000; this amount had increased to $3,300,000 in 1850, and in 1856 reached the $4,000,000 mark.54 The principal defects in local banking were usually the over­ issue of notes and the making of loans on improper securities. The State Bank of Missouri, however, could not be accused of an over­ issue of notes, and in conducting its business it was extremely con­ servative. Ante-bellum legislation was directed chiefly at protecting the note-holder, and it was not until the national government ob­ tained exclusive control of the note-issuing function that the legis­ lature attempted to conserve the interests of the depositor.55 The period of banking by special charter persisted in Missouri after many western as well as eastern states had established general banking laws. The experience of the West with the banks organized under these laws would indicate that Missouri was better off for the delay. But the fault was in the kind of laws and the way they were enforced rather than in the general principle, for general laws are clearly more desirable than the older system of special charters, which in many cases invited corruption. The result of the Act of 1857 was an immediate increase in banks and banking facilities, as is indicated by this table:56 1857 1859 1861 NUMBER OF BANKS 6 29 42 PRINCIPAL RESOURCES Loans and Discounts $4,112,791. $9,830,426. $17,373,469. Stocks 417,335. 970,550. Due from banks 75,991. 597,679. 1,281,748. Real Estate 98,254. 169,549. 321,754. Notes of other banks 196,910. 1,007,575. 1,531,816. Specie and specie funds 1,245,184. 4,270,447. 3,918,089.

PRINCIPAL LIABILITIES Capital Stock 1,215,405. 5,796,781. 11,133,899. Circulation 2,780,380. 6,069,120. 8,204,845. Deposits 1,188,982. 3,123,622. 3,360,384. Due to banks 111,984. 579,830. 1,247,335. The provisions of the general banking act of 1857 were in

54 Executive Documents, U.S. Senate, 52d. Cong., 2nd Sess., 1892-1893, V (Serial No. 3059, Missouri Statistics), 110-111. 55 George Barnett, State Banking in the United States (Baltimore, 1902), in Johns Hopkins University Studies, XX, 68; "State Banks and Trust Compa­ nies since the Passage of the National Bank Act," Report of the National Mone­ tary Commission, 1910, 61st. Cong., 3rd Sess., Sen. Doc, II, No. 659 (Serial No. 5860), 11. 56 Banking Statistics, 1830-1865, see Executive Documents, U.S. Senate, 52d. Cong., 2nd Sess., 1892-1893, V (Serial No. 3059, Missouri Statistics), 110-111. 42 Missouri Historical Review general received with satisfaction.57 It is true that immediately following the passage of the act the new banks established under it refused to follow the conservative policy of the Bank of Missouri, and "Missouri currency, which had, through all the first half of the century, been among the very best in the Union, became, in 1859. one of the worst."58 But the National Banking System was established a few years later, and settled the currency7 problems as far as the state banks were concerned and thus the problems left to the State were those of banking regulation only7. From the laws of 1857 as a basis, the present banking laws have been evolved. For a midwestern state before the Civil War, the banking and currency history of Missouri was in some ways unique. While the banks of sister states were recklessly piling one issue of cheap currency upon another, Missouri legislation was aimed to prevent this, and as far as possible to exclude the paper of non-specie pay­ ing banks. After the banks of the territorial period had collapsed the banking interests themselves favored a conservative policy. The reasons for this difference between Missouri and its neighbors can be explained, however, b\r the historical development of the former, and especially of St. Louis. The development of most of the states of the Middle West was primarily along agricultural lines. There was little or no manu­ facturing, and commerce was subordinate to farming. On the other hand, in Missouri trading had early been one of the chief indus­ tries of the people, and a much larger percentage of the popula­ tion engaged in commercial pursuits. As a result, they were not debtors to the same extent that the people of bordering states were, St. Louis developed rapidly as a trade center. St. Louis was not only the largest city in the State, but, during most of the first half of the century, the largest in the Middle West. Being a very old town, founded in 1764, it was naturally more con­ servative than the smaller and newer towns founded by speculators and other immigrants from the East, and it was not affected much, at least directly, by land speculation. By its size and commercial importance it was able to dominate the rest of the State when currency7 questions arose. This led to an entirely different result from what would have been the case had there been no large town.

~»~ Marshall S. Snow, History of the Development of Missouri (St. Louis, 1908) , II, 349. r>8 Sumner. History of Banking, 449-450. Thomas Hart Benton from a portrait by F. T. L. Boyle

Mo. Hist. Soc.

Many of the chief merchants of St. Louis were descendants of old and established French families. Not only were they natu­ rally less apt to rush into speculation than the newcomers, but in many cases the established families in St. Louis were related to some of the old New Orleans families, and they learned from their southern relations the advantages of a sound banking system; Louis­ iana before the Civil War had one of the best and strongest bank­ ing systems in the West.59 The business interests of St. Louis saw in the experience of Louisiana the way to regulate their own bank­ ing and currency conditions, which, if it was not the best way, was at least vastly superior to the loose and unrestrained systems of other Ohio and Mississippi Valley states. Another factor in the situation lay in the fact that there were for many years in St. Louis a small group of men who understood the principles of sound banking. Much of the trouble in the west­ ern states was due primarily to the ignorance of the great mass of the people in regard to elementary principles of banking and cur­ rency. In Missouri the same group of men who successfully man-

59 Fiske, Modern Bank, 318. 44 Missouri Historical Review

aged the Branch Bank of the United States took hold of the Bank of Missouri when it was organized, and much of the splendid management of the bank was due to this group. The political situation in the State also accounts for the atti­ tude of part of the population, at least, toward banking. Thomas Hart Benton was one of the foremost antagonists of cheap money in the country and, naturally7 enough, his strong faction in the state legislature favored his views. It must be remembered that Benton's influence was not only a powerful one while it lasted, but also that it lasted for a great main' years, and that he was interested par­ ticularly in questions of banking and currency. It was not any one of these factors that caused the development of a better understanding of banking conditions in Missouri, nor was this understanding by any means widespread, as is indicated by the many complaints directed against the Bank of the State of Mis­ souri, but the combination of them all so operated that the men who controlled affairs adopted a wiser view than the leading men of nearby states. The people of Missouri were spared at least some of the distress and suffering that their neighbors were forced to endure because of the speculation and expanded note-issues of ante-bellum times.

Knight-Errantry Platte City Platte County Reveille, September 27, 1867. TOURNAMENT AND PICNJC.-A grand Tournament and Picnic will take place on Saturday, October 5th, 1867, near Hickorv Ciove. on the farm of Mr. W. P. Brightwell, five miles east of Platte City. Thirty Knights, in oriental costume, will contend first for the honor of crowning the Queen, and second for a saddle worth $55. The exercises will commence at 9 o'clock and be conducted strictly according to the established rules of the association. The citizens of the county are all invited to attend. The Platte Citv Cornet Band will be in attendance. The ladies of the City and countv are especially invited, as from their number is to be selected a Queen to be crowned with all the honors pertaining to Chivalry and Knight-Errantrv.

The Engineer Was Dead Hume Border Telephone, January 3, 1908. A young fellow living near Hume brought a watch to Mortin's jewelry store for repairs lately. He had purchased the 'turnip** horn a Chicago cata­ logue house at a bargain price; couldn't understand why it quit runnin[g]. Mortin upon opening the case, found a dead cock roach in the works. Turning to the owner he said, "No wonder the thing wouldn't run. the engineer's dead." Old Chariton

BY HAROLD N. CALVERT*

Only a Memory

Across the Missouri River and a few miles north of the present historic town of Arrow Rock, Old Chariton, another town which bade fair to become famous, was founded in 1816 and 1817.1 After a visit to Old Chariton in 1819, John Mason Peck, pioneer Methodist minister, gave a vivid description of the town. Chariton, containing about thirty families, has been laid off on a stream of the same name. In the winter of 1816-1817, it was the wintering ground of a tribe of Indi­ ans. The following summer three or four log-cabins were erected. Within a year, the increase has been rapid, and, in view of trade and business, it is thought to be superior to any situation on the Missouri River. The Chariton con­ sists of three principal streams or branches that take their

*A resident of Carrollton, Missouri, Mr. Calvert has had numerous articles published as feature stories on the editorial pages of the Kansas City Star and the Kansas City Times. i I. H. Kinley, "History of Chariton County," Chariton County Atlas (Philadelphia, 1876) , 7; History of Howard and Chariton Counties (St. Louis, 1883), 412; History of Chariton and Howard Counties (Topeka, Kansas, 1923), 209; Historical, Pictorial and Biographical Record of Chariton County, Missouri (Salisbury, 1896) , Pt. II, 5. 45 46 Missouri Historical Review

rise in the great prairies far in the north, each of which when not unusually low is navigable for keel-boats. These1 branches unite their waters in one noble channel as they approach the town, forming a stream navigable for steam­ boats, and a safe harbor at all seasons. This stream forms a beautiful semicircle, in the bend of which lies the town site, the lower end of the circle touching on the Missouri. On the east side of the town- plat lies a range of bluffs or hills, giving a romantic and variegated appearance. . . .2 Charles J. Cabell, in a speech at the Old Settler's Reunion at the Keytesville Fair in 1877 described the town as he remembered it. . . . Chariton occupied a level of more than half a mile north and south, lying between large hills on the east and the Chariton River on the west—or something less than half a mile in width. In some portions of the town the houses were very close together and built of brick. . . .3 With the surge of westward movement after the War of 1812. the settlement grew rapidly7. At one time it was believed that Old Chariton might be a rival of St. Louis. It is recorded that William Cabeen, a shoemaker, sold his property in St. Louis, located near the courthouse, for $3,000 and invested his money in Old Chariton.4 At one time there were some 1,200 inhabitants.5 Chariton was named for the branches of the Chariton River which flowed through the region. During their expedition up the Missouri River in 1803 Lewis and Clark noted two rivers which they said were called by the French the two "Charatons."6 In their original manuscripts the word "Charaton" was spelled several different ways. Clark wrote in his journal on June 10, 1804, "passed the two rivers of Charletons which mouth together/'7 Lewis's manuscript notes "Charetton" in one place and "Shariton" in an­ other. Elliott Coues, editor of the Lewis and Clark journals, con­ cludes that these words are corruptions of the French word

2 Rufus Babcock, ed., Memoir of John Mason Peck (Philadelphia. 18(54) , 143. 3 History of Howard and Chariton Counties (1883), 545. 4 Kinley, "History or Chariton County," 7; History of Howard and Chari­ ton Counties (1883) , 413. 5 Ibid., 41. 6 Elliott Coues, ed., The History of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (Xcw York, 1893) , I, 19, fn. 42. 7 Ibid.. 31, fn. 66. Portrait of John Moore as painted by George Caleb Bing­ ham. Painting now owned by Will Moore, Carrollton.

charette, meaning cart. The author of an article on Missouri place names, published in 1823, states that it is a corruption of the French word "charlatan," which signifies mountebank, wheedler, a cun­ ning fellow. . . .8 At the time of its founding Old Chariton was a part of Howard County. In 1820 Chariton County was organized as an extensive territory which included the country west from the Howard County line to the eastern boundary of Ray County, and north to the Iowa line.8 Old Chariton was chosen the first seat of justice.10 The first Chariton County circuit court was held, February 26, 1821, in a two-story brick house on the public square with David Todd, of Columbia, circuit judge; Edward Blair Cabell, clerk; and John Moore, sheriff.11

8 Ibid. 9 History of Hoicard and Chariton Counties (1883), 404; Kinley, "History of Chariton County," 7. io History of Chariton and Howard Counties (1923), 211. ii Historical, Pictorial and Biographical Record of Chariton County, Pt. II, 7. 4(S Missouri Historical Review

Edward Blair Cabell and John Moore were among the first settlers of Old Chariton. Cabell a member of the noted Cabell family of Virginia, with his wife, the former Harriett Forbes Mon­ roe, a niece1 of President James Monroe, came to Old Chariton in 1818. In addition to his duties as both county and circuit clerk. Cabell also served as county treasurer and postmaster.1- Charles J. Cabell said he was satisfied that for several years his father could carry the majority of the papers of his two clerkships in his hat. Harriett Cabell made the first deed record book by sewing quires of foolscap together.1' John Moore, a native of North Carolina and a veteran of the War of 1812, came to Missouri from Kentucky in 1815 on horse­ back. He liked the country and returned to Kentucky to bring his family to Old Chariton. He brought blooded horses with him and laid out one of the first race tracks west of the Mississippi. Some idea of the dangers and ruggedness of those days is indicated by7 the fact that Moore was killed by a stranger in his own home.14 Duff Green, founder of Old Chariton, later became prominent as a journalist, lawyer and politician. A native of Kentucky, he came to Missouri in 1816 to survey lands. Soon he built a large mercantile business in St. Louis with branches at St. Charles, Franklin and Chariton, secured a contract for carrying the mails, served as post­ master of Old Chariton, established a stagecoach line and studied law. He served in both houses of the Missouri legislature during the early 1820s. In 1823, he purchased the St. Louis Enquirer with which he supported Andrew Jackson in the 1824 presidential elec­ tion. He purchased the United States Telegraph in Washington, D.C., in 1825, and as publisher of the Telegraph and of other newspapers in the East, he became an influential figure in national politics.1"' Other Old Chariton residents became noted in the political history of the era. Dr. John Bull, who was also a Methodist minister, served as representative in Congress, 1833-1835.u$ In Congress he

'- Joseph A. Mudd, "The Cabell Descendants in Missouri.'' MISSOURI HIS­ TORICAL RI VIKYV, IX (Januarv, 1915) . 82-83: History of Hoxeard and Chariton Counties (1883) . 549. 1-* Ibid., 549-550. 1-J Portrait and Biographical Record , . . Chariton and Linn Counties (Chi­ cago. 189.3) . J 75; personal interview with Will Moore. Carroll ton. grandson of John Moore. """'Allen Johnson and Dumas Malone. eds.. Dictionary of American Biogra­ phy (New York, 1943), XII, 540-542. u> Biographical Directory of the American Co?igress. 1774-1i>JV (Washington. D.C., 1950) , 904-905. Old Chariton 49 was influential in securing the Platte Purchase territory. Daniel Ashby, a member of the first Chariton County court, served as state representative, 1828-1834, and state senator, 1834-1838. A native of Virginia, he came to Missouri from Kentucky in 1817. For the first five years of his Missouri residence he traded with the Indians. He later served as land office receiver at Lexington, Missouri.17 Other prominent citizens were Joseph J. Monroe, brother of President James Monroe, Dr. Ben Edwards, brother of Governor Ninian Edwards of Illinois, Milton Sublette and Andrew Sublette, who later won fame as mountain men of the West, James Keyte, Methodist minister and founder of Keytesville in 1832,18 and James Semple, who served in the United States Senate from Illi­ nois, 1843 to 1847.19 At the height of its prosperity the town had two general stores, two hotels, a blacksmith shop, a tannery and a steam mill. From 1820 until 1822 a "Loan Office Bank" was located there.20 In 1833 Judge John M. Feazle of Virginia, introduced tobacco grow­ ing into the county.21 Chariton, a town peopled with noted personages, seemed destined to prosper. In the winter of 1823-1824, the steam mill burned. In 1824 the Missouri River overflowed and to the depth of several feet inundated the bottom lands.22 In 1825 the Chariton River overflowed and ensuing years brought a succession of floods. Disease accompanied the floods and many fell victim to its rav­ ages and died.23 In 1831 some of Chariton's flood refugees founded the town of Monticello on the bluffs east of the Chariton River, but the site was too far from the river trade and did not prosper.24 Many of the inhabitants of Old Chariton moved to Glasgow, a short distance to the south in Howard County. Glasgow was laid out on a bluff at the river's edge, which assured its success as a

17 Official Manual, State of Missouri, 1935-1936 (Jefferson City, 1936) , 190-194; Walter B. Stevens, Missouri the Center State, 1821-1915 (Chicago, 1915), III, 658-659; Kinley, "History of Chariton County," 7. 18 History of Howard and Chariton Counties (1883), 546. ^Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1794. 20 History of Howard and Chariton Counties (1883), 412. 21 Historical, Pictorial and Biographical Record of Chariton County, Pt. II, 6. 22 Kinley, "History of Chariton County," 7. 23 History of Howard and Chariton Counties (1883), 418. 24 Ibid. 50 Missouri Historical Review town and a river port.25 The Chariton County seat of justice was transferred to Keytesville in 1833.2(i By 1840 Old Chariton was a ghost town.27 Arrow Rock, founded on high ground at the river's edge, although forgotten and passed by for many years, has now been restored with all its pioneer quaintness; while Old Chariton, equally7 historic, but founded on land at the mercy of the "Mighty Missouri," is now only7 a memory. Old Chariton's gift to posterity after such a proud beginning, will always remain a few short lines in Missouri's early recorded history.

-'•-> Ibid. -'"'• History of Chariton and Hoivurd Counties (1923) , 236. -"Historical, Pictorial and Biographical Record of Chariton County. Pi. II, 7.

The Icy Bath Was Good for All Liberty 1"tibune, February 8, 1867. Near the city of St.. Joseph, Mo., a few years since, the rite of baptism was performed on several women by immersion in the river. As it was winter, it was necessary to cut a hole in the ice; and the novelty of the scene attracted a large crowd among whom were several Indians, who looked on in wondering silence. They retired without understanding the nature of the object of the ceremony they had seen; but observing that all the subjects of immersion were females, and getting a vague idea that it was to make them good, the Indians came back a few days afterward, bringing their squaws with them. Cutting another hole in the ice, near the same place, thev immersed each and all of them, in spite of their remonstrances, being very sure that if it: was good for the whites it was good for the reds.

Their Plans Were Thwarted Grant Cit\ Worth County Times, March .5. 1908. Late in the stilly night a Sumner man saw a light in a store. Burglars? What else could it be? He woke up his neighbors and they responded nobly. Surrounding the building they closed in slowly and cautiously, keeping their ordnance ready. Just as they were preparing to charge and carry the place by storm, a clerk remembered he had left the light burning. And the gallant but disgusted band went home to mingle with the draperies of their respective couches. THE Walter Scott: A Steamboat Ahead Of Its Day

BY WARREN E. SPEHAR*

In Huckleberry Finn the adventures of Huck and Jim aboard the wrecked steam­ boat Walter Scott introduce Twain s audi­ ence to certain details of superstructure design of western steamboats. After over­ coming Jim's reluctance to board the CROSS SECTION OF A TYFICAt, BOAT* apparently abandoned vessel (Chapter WESTERN KtVW E. B. Trail Collection Twelve), Jim and Huck made fast the raft State Hist. Soc. of Mo. to the starboard derrick and then proceed toward the texas, fending off the guys as they go. Reaching the cap­ tain's door at the front end of the texas,1 the rectangular structure mounted on the topmost deck (hurricane), and on which itself was mounted the pilot house, Huck looks "away down through the texas- hall [and sees] a light!" Hearing voices from within the texas, Huck

*Born in Kansas City, Kansas, Mr. Spehar received his B.S. degree in English from Rockhurst College and his M.A. in the same field from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He is currently completing his Ph.D. in English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. i No convincing explanation of the application of this term to this steam­ boat feature has yet been proposed. One view is that staterooms on Mississippi steamboats were commonly named after states, hence the officers' room, the largest, is said to have been named "texas." E. B. Trail Collection, State Hist. Soc. of Mo.

"crept aft in the dark, till there warn't but about one stateroom be­ twixt me and the cross-hall of the texas." The texas of the Walter Scott appears to be a structure of moderate length, probably a mini­ mum of twenty yards long, perhaps a maximum of thirty-three. It is long enough to have a light "away down" in it, and of sufficient width and length to have a cross-hall. From the description given of the Walter Scott's texas, then, the Walter Scott could be a vessel of between 180 and 295 feet stem to stern, probably nearer ISO feet. (The texas was usually about a third the length of the stem- to-stern measurement in the early- 1850s.)2 Prior to 1844, steamboats of the western rivers displayed only a pilot-house atop the hurricane deck. In that year, however, the Yorktown, out of Cincinnati, was provided with a texas. i.e. was provided with staterooms "in the pilot house" for the officers.3 It was not until the 1850s that the texas was lengthened much be­ yond the length of the pilot house. Then it enjoyed a major expan­ sion, reaching the one-third-total-length dimension, and could then accommodate passengers' staterooms as well as those of the ves­ sel's officers. The Walter Scott, with its extended, complex texas, is not the type of vessel seen on the upper Mississippi until Sam Clemens was already a young man. It is a type of steamboat hardly seen on any American river until the 1850s. The description of the details of the Walter Scott, then, is drawn not from the memories of Clemens' boyhood in the 1840s (the ostensible time for the action of Huckleberry Finn) but from a period a decade or more later. Twain thus seems to have forgotten to adjust the design of the Walter Scott in Huckleberry Finn to conform with the evolu­ tionary stage of the western steamboat as it was in the mid-40s on the Mississippi River.

- Louis C. Hunter, Steamboats on the Western Rivers (Cambridge. Mass., 1949) , 648. 3 Charles Cist, Cincinnati Miscellany (Cincinnati, 1845), II, 71. 'Quoted by Hunter, Steamboats on Western Rivers, 90.) jpsiSEisisiaisisra^ I H m H

(Eijrtstwas (lifts

The giving of gift memberships in the State Historical Society, which in­ cludes a subscription to the MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW, has come to be an established part of Christmas with many members of the Society. The Society invites you to give this distinguished Christmas gift.

The gift membership serves a multiple purpose. It extends interest in Missouri's proud history, adds members to the Society, expands the influence of the REVIEW, and provides the recipient with an esteemed magazine rich in facts about Missouri and Missourians, which conveys pleasure throughout the entire year.

With each membership which you designate as a Christmas gift, the Society will send a card to the recipient. The card will give your name as the donor of the Christmas gift membership. Please send names and addresses for mem­ bership to: THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI, HITT AND LOWRY STREETS, COLUMBIA, MISSOURI 65201, on or before December 15, with enclosed check. Annual membership dues are $2.00.

iisisigiaiEiigiaisK^ ...

The Lebanon Grays, champion baseball team of the 1890s. The illustration is from Laclede County, The First Hundred Years, 1848-1949, by Frances Gleason.

The first Missouri State Fair, held at Sedalia, September 9-13, 1901, was attended by 20,000 persons who paid admission fees. Four thousand exhibitors' passes and 1,500 complimentary tick­ ets were also issued. The Mis­ souri Pacific and the Missouri- Kansas-Texas railroads ran special trains from Sedalia to the fairgrounds. Fare was ten cents one way and 15 cents for the round trip.

John T. Hook riding Kentucky's Best. Hook, who died at Mexico, Mis­ souri, May 28, 1960, was known as the dean of American saddle horse­ men. Mexico offered the nation's first $1,500 saddle horse show ring and the first $1,000 trotting and pacing stakes. It was an early harness racing center.

HARRISON, Famous Saddle Horses and Distinguished Horsemen. VIEWS FROM THE PAST MISSOURI RECREATION

At the turn of the century Mis­ sourians enjoyed many forms of outdoor recreational activities which have continued to the present.

Trefts Collection A "bathing beauty" of yesteryear.

A group of St. Louis cyclists tak­ ing their first run to Collinsville, Illinois, May 21, 1889. In succeed­ ing years the growth of cycling as a sport was phenomenal. HISTORICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS

NEWS IN BRIEF

Missouri has lost another covered 127th anniversary ol the Whig Con­ bridge. A span over Elk Fork of Salt sent ion. held in that town in 18-f(). River on the old Paris to Mexico Sponsored bv the Friends of Roche- load, southeast of Paris was washed port, the celebration was held to bring away, Julv 9, during a flood. The attention to the purposes of that or­ bridge was one of Monroe County's ganization which is to preserve and last two covered bridges and was one restore significant (daces in the his­ of six in the state that was to have toric Missouri River community. been taken over by the State Park Funds realized from the event will go Board, October 13, under a bill signed toward restoration projects. bv Governor Warren E. Hearncs this Among the most interesting and past spring. popular activities were the "Missouri Celebrated Jumping Frog Contest and The Athens Park Development As­ I Hit le Race."" street dances, a displa\ sociation, Athens, Missouri, recent Iv of old houses and antique furnishings, purchased 32 acres and the Old Hotel and Missouri River catfish dinners. belonging to Mrs. Jessie Gay lord. The Association agreed to preserve and restore the building as soon as pos­ Mrs. Dorothy J. Caldwell, associate sible, the ante-bellum hotel is be­ editor of the Missouu HISTORIC; \i Ri> lieved to have been the headquarters vnw. attended the Institute on His ol Colonel David Moore. 31 st Missouri, torical Agency and Historical Museum who commanded the Federals at the Publications at Nashville. Tennessee, Civil War Battle of Athens. After the June 12-17. She was one of 70 partici­ battle the building was used to (are pants selected to attend the institute, tor the wounded. co-sponsored by the American Asso­ ciation for State and Focal History More than 3,000 persons attended and Yanderbilt University and made the first annual "Rotheport Friends- possible b\ a grant to the Association lest" celebration at Rocheport on from the National Fndowment for June 17. The occasion marked the the Humanities. Historical Notes and Comments 57

Hermann, historic German settle­ 3-10. Chosen as a depot by Hannibal ment, celebrated its annual Maifest and St. Joseph Railroad officials, the (May Festival), May 20-21. Musical town was laid out and platted in 1867. shows, tours of historic houses, It was named in honor of John L. Missouri River rides, street dances, Lathrop, treasurer of the railroad parades, band concerts and craft dem­ company. onstrations were included on the pro­ Special events planned for the ob­ gram. Visitors were able to view mu­ servance included contests, a variety seum exhibits; buy handiwork items, of shows, dances, parades, an ice food and farmers' products at a farm­ cream social, and an antique and ex­ er's market; and tour the community perimental airplane display. The June complex of unusual buildings at the 1 issue of the Lathrop Optimist fea­ old Stone Hill Farms which is being tured numerous historical articles on restored. German food was served by the town, old settlers, events and local various organizations. The Maifest is organizations. An attractive history, sponsored by Historic Hermann In­ Lathrop, Missouri, 1867-1967, was also corporated, the Hermann Chamber of published for the occasion. Commerce and the Jaycees. Oliver B. Ferguson, publisher of A special exhibit commemorating the Fredericktown Democrat-News, the 20th anniversary of the Truman was elected president of the University Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, of Missouri Board of Curators, June 7. opened April 27 at the Harry S. Tru­ A member of the Board since 1954, he man Library in Independence. In­ will succeed Robert Neill of St. Louis. cluded in the display was a 2,500 year Ferguson is a 1939 graduate of the old bronze helmet worn by a Greek University of Missouri School of soldier in the Persian Wars, a gift of Journalism and is now serving as the Greek Ambassador, and a silver president of the Missouri Press Asso­ chest, presented by President Sunay ciation. William C. Myers, Jr., Webb of Turkey. City lawyer, was named vice president of the Board. The restored portrait of Clara Clemens, daughter of Samuel Clemens, As part of the observance of the of Mark Twain fame, is now on dis­ 40th anniversary of the famous play in the Mark Twain Birthplace Charles A. Lindbergh New York-Paris Memorial Shrine in Florida, Missouri. flight, Albert W. Lowe, chief pilot for The life-size oil painting by American McDonnell Douglas Corporation, flew artist John White Alexander was done the Missouri Historical Society's rep­ in Paris in 1898. Miss Clemens was 24 lica of the famous plane on May 21 years old when she posed for the por­ in the St. Louis area. A ceremony was trait. The painting, 3 feet wide and held at the McDonnell Douglas Plant. 6 feet, 3 inches high, was presented Lt. Gov. Thomas F. Eagleton of St. to the Mark Twain Research Founda­ Louis presented the ceremonial ad­ tion by Phyllis Harrington, a friend of dress. McDonnell aircraft and space Clara Clemens. The Foundation then products were on display. The famous turned the painting over to the Mis­ plane, the "Spirit of St. Louis," was souri State Park Board. recently refurbished and placed on display at the St. Louis airport ter­ A centennial celebration for the minal building. A recently built re­ founding of Lathrop was held June production of the plane was flown to 58 Missouri Historical Review

Paris for a ceremony on the same Society of the Colonial Dames of day. A delegation from St. Louis at­ America in the State of Missouri; a tended the Paris event. tour of Westminster College, Fulton, to view the 17th-century St. Man Salisbury is this year celebrating its Aldermanburv Church, rebuilt as a centennial anniversary. The town was memorial to Sir Winston Churchill: founded bv Judge Lucius Salisbury and a special trip to Jefferson Me­ and named for him. A stone and brass morial. St. Louis, where guests were plaque was erected in honor of Judge entertained by the Missouri Historical Salisbury and unveiled in a special Society. ceremony. May 28, at the city park. Numerous events scheduled for the "Progress-A-Rama" Week, .August summer months included a rodeo, 0-12. at Smithville, celebrated the June 16-18; fair and horse show, Julv city's progress through the past 145 o-H; country street dance. August II; years. Settled first bv Humphrey and a centennial pageant, August Smith in 1822, the town was incorpo­ 23-20. rated in 1807. Special events included an old fashioned brush-arbor service, A new tombstone has been obtained country auction, barbecue, basket din­ bv Donald R. Hale, Independence, ner and historical pageant. A crafts from the United States government, to festival, under the direction of the mark the grave of ''Bloody Bill" Extension Clubs, featured the sale of Anderson in Richmond. The stone homemade products and demonstra­ marking the confederate officer's grave tions of candv making, spinning and is located in the southwest corner of hickory bottom chair weaving. the Old Citv Cemetery on North Thornton Street. An article written Ilie Lewis and Clark Frail Commit­ bv Hale, "Another Chapter in Saga of tee ol Missouri met, Mav 6. at Ra- 'Bloody Bill" Anderson,'* appeared in mada Inn. Independence. Members the Richmond Xexes, April 25. commended the Missouri State High­ way Department for financing, pro­ Plans have been made for the 100th ducing and placing ")()() trail markers anniversary celebration of the Trinity across the State. Lutheran Church, Altenburg, with At the September 31-October 1 special services occurring October 1, meeting in Columbia plans were made 8, 15, 22, 29 and 31. The observances for the publication of a brochure on will also commemorate the Reforma­ the Lewis and Clark 1 rail and for tion, 4.r)() years ago. marking the trail on Missouri high­ way maps. An old-fashioned havride, The 1967 Annual Meeting and Pres­ a keelboat ride on the Missouri River ervation Conference of the National and a fish fry al the Lewis and Clark Trust for Historic Preservation was campsite near Rocheport were in­ held, October 19-22, at the Chase-Park cluded in the two-dav program. Plaza Hotel, St. Louis. Guided bus tours to the St. Louis riverfront. Gate­ A rerun ol the famous Ponv Ex­ way Arch and famous landmarks were press between St. Joseph and Fort included in the program. Three op­ Laramie, Wyoming, was held. August tional tours were provided at the close 12-19, to honor the 100th anniversary of the session: a trip to historic Ste. of Nebraska's statehood. Forty riders Genevieve, sponsored by the National under trail boss Lee Shifflett, St. Historical Notes and Comments 59

Joseph, carried Pony Express Cachet displayed antiques and a French Covers by horseback from St. Joseph marketplace graced the square with to Hanover, Kansas, where another booths offering for sale products of the group of riders took them on to Fort area. Other events included the dedi­ Laramie. cation of Pierre Marquette Park; a Nebraska Centennial Pony Express grand parade with floats recalling the rerun Cachets, of special interest to city's history; an antique auction; old historians and collectors, were sold time street dancing; a lavish King's in St. Joseph at Patee Flouse, where Ball; a western rodeo; Sunday worship the original Pony Express offices were services; and a muzzle loading rifle located, at St. Joseph Museum, and contest. at stops between St. Joseph and Fort Laramie. The first 12 volumes of the Mark The celebration at St. Joseph in­ Twain Journal have been reprinted by cluded a queen contest on August 11. the Kraus Reprint Company, 16 East Mr. Shifflett, the first rider from that 46th Street, New York. The Journal city, left the Pony Express Stable dates from 1936. Museum, August 12, for a ride to Patee House to pick up the mail, car­ The W7arsaw Christian Church cele­ ried in special mochilas. He stopped brated its 125th anniversary, June 25. at the Civic Center where Mayor At the program, which preceded the Douglas Merrifield officially opened morning worship service, third, fourth the celebration with an address. A and fifth generations of the church parade featured the Fort Leavenworth founders were presented, and recogni­ Military Band, area riding clubs and tion was given to those who held the the 40 Pony Express riders. Pony Ex­ oldest membership and to the oldest press awards were given in the saddle members. Mrs. S. R. Miner gave the ^lub group. history of the church. The congrega­ tion was organized, June 24, 1842. In Ste. Genevieve was host to the sec­ 1860 the present brick church was ond annual Jour de Fete celebration, built. During the Civil War, the August 12-13. A wide variety of con­ structure was used first as a hospital tinuous and special activities for the for Union troops and later as a "days of celebration" included tours stable. In 1926 the church received of historic buildings and sites in the $600 from the federal government in city; an art show featuring the works payment for damages which occurred of professional and amateur artists during the Civil War. In 1948 the and Ozark craftsmen; and the trans­ church structure was renovated and a formation of the city square into a vil­ colonial front, the gift of Mrs. Nora lage of the 1700s. Store windows Lay, was added.

The Head of a Mouse Canton Missouri Plebeian, October 27, 1848. Several of the most prominent leaders of the whig party in Marion county were once passable members of the democratic party. They seem to think there is a great deal of truth in the old saying, that it is more honorable to be the "bead of a mouse than the tail of a lion." 60 Missouri Historical Review

LOCAL HISTORICAL SOCIETIES

Audrain County Historical Society Cass County Historical Society The Society, in cooperation with the More than 40 persons attended the Missouri Council on the Arts, ar­ April 28 meeting at the Archie Baptist ranged lor a bus trip to St, Louis. Church. A history of dolls was dis­ August I. to attend the Municipal cussed bv Mrs. Hollis J. Gordon, In­ Opera performance presented bv the dependence. She displayed many dolls Roval Ballet of London. Society mem from her collection and presented hers sponsored the plav, "Charlies slides showing the repair and costume Aunt.'" presented bv Arrow Rock Ly­ work done on them. Mrs. Thelma ceum, August 22. at Presser Hall, Christiansen described the early days Mexico. in Archie. A brunch was field at the Museum. Fhe Society was host at a reunion of August 9, lor exhibitors at the Au­ Charles and Flenrv "Washington drain County Fair Horse Show. Flans Younger family descendants. Julv 30. are in progress for expanding the at the Cole Younger Home near Lee's Society Museum to include a Horse Summit. Wilbur /.ink, Appleton City, Museum. discussed the Younger Family at an altcrnoon meeting of the Society. Carl Breihan. St. Lotus, author of several Camden County Historical Society books about the Youngers, was pies Histories of the Howard and Nelson ent to autograph copies of his works. families <>1 Camden County were pre­ sented bv Mrs. Haiiev Helms and Miss Edith Nelson at the Mav 8 meeting Civil War Round Table of at St. George's Episcopal Church, the Ozarks Camden ton. Mrs. Esther Barklev has Elmo Ingenthron, kirbvville. related been appointed historian of the the history of the Bald kiiobbets, a Society. colorful post-Civil War vigilante or­ ganization of Fancy County, at the June 11 meeting at Ramada Inn, Carondelet Historical Society Springfield. Two hundred years after the found ing of Carondelet, February 17. 1707. the Society was incorporated to col­ Civil War Round Table of St. Louis lect and preserve objects and infor­ More than 30 persons, under the mation relating to the historical heri­ leadership of John Margreiter. at­ tage of the community. Officers are tended a field trip to Pilot Knob. Helen Rieckus. president; James F. April 15. Fhe group visited a number Robinson, vice president: Albert Jef­ of places in and near Ironton and en­ ferson, secretary: and Virginia A. joyed a picnic lunch at Taum Sauk. Rehme. treasurer. At a dinner in Lone Pine Hotel, Iron- More than 55 persons met. Mav 22, ton, |im Connelly spoke on remem­ in the Carondelet Branch Library brances of the history of Ft. Davidson Auditorium to activate the new soci­ and some local Civil War personages. ety. The group adopted a set of by­ Fhe tenth anniversary celebration laws and elected a 10-member board for the founding of the Round Fable of directors. was observed with the annual Ladies Historical Notes and Comments 61

Night, May 24, aboard the riverboat, Officers elected for the coming year Huck Finn. Dr. Ted Sanders, McVeigh were Donald Pharis, Liberty, presi­ Goodson and Norman Halls, founders dent; Carroll Barrett, Gladstone, vice of the group, were honored. Ralph president; Catherine Wilkerson, Liber­ Newman, from the Chicago Round ty, secretary; and Gerald Barnes* Table, spoke on his interesting ex­ Liberty, treasurer. periences in association with Civil War Round Tables. Concordia Historical Institute The following officers were elected Two anniversaries of importance to for 1967-1968: Dr. John Margreiter, Lutherans were commemorated in a president; Fletcher Elmore, vice presi­ museum display at the Institute, St. dent; Terry Nicholson, treasurer; Rob­ Louis, beginning in May. The anni­ ert Katsev, assistant treasurer; Ray versaries were the 120th anniversary Hoffstetter, secretary; and Ron Rath- of the founding of the Lutheran geber, assistant secretary. Church-Missouri Synod, and the 40th Richard Metz is editor of the anniversary of the incorporation of the monthly publication, The Bush­ Institute. Items of historical interest whacker. from each of these anniversary periods were featured in a colorful display. One section of the exhibits was de­ Clay County Museum Association voted to artifacts from the Reforma­ The Ladies Auxiliary held its Sec­ tion Era; another featured a display ond Anniversary Open House at the centered around the pioneering ef­ Museum in Liberty, April 23. Funds forts of three leading Missouri figures from a plant sale wTere used for the —Dr. C. F. W. Walther, the Reverend benefit of the Museum. F. C. D. W^yneken, and Dr. Franz The Association sponsored an all- Pieper; and another exhibit featured day historical places tour, May 27. artifacts of the Institute. The group visited the Jackson County Jail Museum, Independence; "Missouri Dallas County Historical Society Town—1855," Lake Jacomo; and the Battle of Lone Jack National Histori­ Members met, July 21, at the county cal Shrine; and Old Courthouse, War­ courthouse in Buffalo. Plans were dis­ rensburg. cussed for a historical display at the county fair, August 4-5. The annual picnic of the Associa­ Officers for 1967-68 are Herbert H. tion was held June 24 at Watkins Mill. Scott, Windyville, president; Mrs. A tour of the mill preceded the picnic. Lucile Scott, vice president; Ida E. At the July 27 meeting at the Na­ Garner, secretary; and Ray Powell, tional Commercial Bank, Liberty, treasurer, all of Buffalo. members of the Smithville Historical Society, in costume, presented the story of their community's history. Daughters of Old Westport The Smithville group arranged a show Twenty-five persons attended the window display for the Clay County May 16 meeting at the home of Anna Historical Museum in July. Ford, Kansas City. The hostess served A program on "Missouri Town— an old-fashioned dinner and presented 1855," Lake Jacomo, was presented by a slide program of her recent tour of its curator Charles A. Kerr, at the Europe. August 24 meeting in the First Na­ At the June 20 meeting in the home tional Bank, Liberty. of Mrs. Howard Coxe, Kansas City, 62 Missouri Historical Review

Mrs. Bess Chouteau VoIIrath brought pre 20th centurv icehouse located on a parchment certificate awarded to 1 he- the G. C. Young property. 'Fhe ice­ Daughters from the General Hospital, house was originally built to store ice lor their support of the hospital. dining the summer. It has been in Mrs. Young's family for more than 75 years. Dent County Historical Society Members, at the June 9 meeting in the Salem City Hall, discussed plans Gentry County Historical Society for a historical museum in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Emmet Seal presented A savings fund was established for the a program on "Siloam Springs, Mis­ Iuttire purchase of a museum building souri,-' at the Julv 9 meeting in the and one-half of each SI.00 member library building, Stanberry. Present ship payment is to be applied to the owners of the resort hotel at Siloam fund. Springs. Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Edson. attended the meeting. Society presi­ dent. Homer Pvle, was authorized to Florissant Valley Historical Society appoint a chairman of each township Fhe Society participated in the to conduct a county cemetery survey Fifth Annual Valley of Flowers cele­ project. bration. Mav 27, in Florissant. Its float, "Strolling 'Through the Park One Dav/' was awarded first prize. Grand River Historical Society Fhe Ninth Annual Birthday Dinner Some 32 persons attended the Julv of the Society was held, Julv 20. at 13 meeting and annual picnic at the Holiday Inn, Hazelwood. Manual Jamcsport Citv Park. Following a short Ortuno, executive director of the business meeting the group visited Spanish Pavilion of St. Louis, spoke Fred Call and his rock museum. Dur­ of the Pavilion and what it means to ing the past several years Mr. Call St. Louis. has collected over 25.000 rocks from all parts of the world. Friends of Arrow Rock The Friends held their 8th annual auction at Arrow Rock, June 24. Pro­ Greene County Historical Society ceeds will go toward completion of the Mrs. Lucile Morris Upton presented restoration of the John Sites Gun an illustrated talk on 'Fhe Spring­ Shop. Fhe floor of the shop was field National Cemetery: Centennial archaeological Iv excavated by mem­ Year" at the May 25 meeting of the bers of the Missouri Archaeological Society in the Springfield Art Museum. Society under the direction of Robert Fewis King, superintendent of the Na­ I. Brav, director of the Lyman Re­ tional Cemetery, added general infor­ search Center, and by students of the mation and little known details of Hamilton Field School for Archaeol­ local burials of Civil War soldiers. ogy. Restoration is being made ac- Members participated in a general cording to these findings. discussion of the Civil War in the Springfield area and the National Cemeterv. Friends of Rocheport Fdgar A. Albin. director of the De­ Fhe first major project of the or­ partment of Art. Southwest Missouri ganization was the restoration of a State College, spoke on "Creeping Historical Notes and Comments 63

Ugliness" at the annual dinner meet­ vation of the old Cold Water School, ing, June 22, at Raines Dinner House May 20, at the school building on near Springfield. Professor Albin used New Halls Ferry Road near St. Louis. color slides of regional scenes as he All profits realized will be used for discussed problems and hazards con­ preservation of the school which has nected with a lack of sensitivity to been selected as a landmark by the elements of beauty in the American Historic Buildings Commission of St. landscape. Louis County.

Harrison County Historical Society Hickory County Historical Society "The Battle of Lexington" was the Reports given at the June 13 meet­ topic of the program given by David ing in the County Clerk's office in Howery at the June 3 meeting in the Hermitage, included a resume of a First National Bank, Bethany. Colonel recent Boy Scout trip retracing the old Virgil Templeman Y'ates presented to Butterfield Stage Mail Route from the Society the files of the Bethany near Elkton to Fairfield and the read­ Democrat from 1895 to 1900 and three ing of an article on the Bird family of historical scrapbooks, the property of the area. The group discussed local his mother, the late Marion Temple- schools, the old covered bridge at man Yates. The scrapbooks contained Fairfield, old county records, and a large collection of material on the books displayed by Society members. history of Northwest Missouri. Historical Association of Henry County Historical Society Greater St. Louis At the May 18 annual meeting, At the annual dinner meeting, June James Attebery, Osceola, president of 1, at Fontbonne College, John W. the St. Clair County Historical So­ Padberg, S.J., president of the As­ ciety, presented an illustrated talk on sociation and assistant to the dean of events in neighboring counties. the Graduate School, St. Louis Uni­ Dr. Richard S. Brownlee, Columbia, versity, spoke on "The Future of the director of the State Historical So­ Past." A tour of the new library fol­ ciety of Missouri, spoke on Colonel lowed the dinner. John Smith T at the June 15 meeting in the First National Bank, Clinton. Jackson County Historical Society The Society dedicated a historical W7illiam Coleman Branton, Kansas marker, June 25, on Highway 7, north­ City banker and attorney, was elected west of Clinton near the homestead president at the Society's annual meet­ of the township's first settler. The ing, January 22, in the Harry S. Tru­ marker was inscribed with a short man Library Auditorium, Independ­ account of the county, city and people. ence. Other officers are Dr. Philip C. Officers for the coming year are Brooks, Mrs. Herbert H. White and Mrs. Mildred S. Church, president; Richard M. Torrance, vice presidents; Ewing Johnson, vice president; Mrs. Mrs. Herbert H. Haukenberry, sec­ Margaret Adair Seifried, secretary; retary; Ted H. Cauger, treasurer; and and Mrs. H. S. Burnham, treasurer. Mrs. Charles T. Wesner, historian. Winners of the Society's Church Heritage Foundation of Florissant History Contest for 1966 were, in the The Foundation sponsored a public manuscript division, Dolly Brieten- auction to raise funds for the preser- baugh, "History of the Methodist 64 Missouri Historical Review

Chinch in Lee's Summit"'; in the pam­ ett J. Ritchie, board chairman; phlet division, the late Mrs. Mary Stewart E. Tatum, vice president: Mrs. Fitzgerald Green. "History of St. Clyde G. Dixon, secretary; and Mrs. Marv's Catholic Church in Independ­ Fern Gray, treasurer. Mrs. David ence"; and in the bound book divi­ Hoover will act. as assistant to the sion, Mrs. Mary Prewitt Mitchell, president. Plans were made for a win­ "History of the First Baptist Church dow display at the Joplin Chamber of in Independence." Commerce showing items suggested The Genealogical Committee of the for inclusion in the cornerstone of the Society announced that the essay con­ City Hall. test for 1967 is on the subject, "The Special ceremonies were held Aug­ Biography of a Doctor, or Dentist, of ust 6, in front of the new municipal Jackson County, Missouri." All essays building, Joplin, for the laving of the entered become the property of the cornerstone. The stone contained a Society and are preserved in its "time capsule" to be opened at the archives. city's 200th anniversary in 2073. Con­ Membeis and friends of the Society tents of the capsule, nearly 100 items visited Missouri Town—1855 at Lake of historic and current interest, were facomo, June 25. At the conclusion of prepared bv the Society. Speakers at the tour a picnic supper was held. the dedication included City Mavor C. C. Havnes; City Manager M. F)on Harmon; and John W. McConnel and Johnson County Historical Society William E. Crockett, both from the Milton F. Perrv, museum curator National Office of Civil Defense, for the Harrv S. Truman Library, In­ Washington, D.C. Open house and a dependence, spoke at the June 11 tour of the new building were held meeting in the Old Courthouse on Old August 5-6. Town Hill. Warrensburg. Mr. Perry praised the work of the Society in re­ storing the Old Courthouse, scene of Kansas City Westerners the Old Drum dog trial in 1870 where At the February 14 meeting at Hotel Senator George G. Vest delivered his BcTlerive, Kitty Wyatt presented an famous speech. "A Tribute to a Dog." illustrated talk describing her experi­ Fhe latest additions to the Court­ ences on a covered wagon trip over the house weie a judge's handmade wal­ old Smokv Hill-Butterfield Trail in nut bench and a walnut staircase lead­ the 1960s. ing to the second floor. Jack Wymore, owner of the Com­ mercial Bank at Liberty, presented a Joplin Historical Society paper on "Jesse James and Clav Coun­ At the organization's first annual ty, Missouri," at the regular meeting, meeting, June 21, at the Connor Ho­ March 14. tel, joplin. William C. Markwardt, An address on "Leavenworth, Kan­ spoke on "Pioneers Who Have Helped sas "Territory, 1855-56," was given by Build joplin." A 15-member board of Don Krenkel, a member of the West­ directors was elected. Exhibits of his­ erners, at the April 11 dinner meet­ torical interest were on display. ing. At a meeting of the board of di­ At the May 9 meeting, Robert Rich­ rectors, July 6, the following officers mond, State Archivist for the Kansas were elected for the coming year: Dr. State Historical Society, Topeka, pre­ A. Paul Thompson, president; Ever­ sented a paper entitled "Humorist on Historical Notes and Comments 65

Tour: Artemus Ward in Mid-America, Knox County Historical Society 1864." Richmond discussed some little Some 42 members and guests at­ known facts about Ward's career in tended the July 18 meeting at the Missouri Valley towns, gathered from Knox County R-I High School in contemporary newspaper accounts. Edina. Mrs. Howard Platz, a member A program on the life of Regis of the Salt River Archaeological So­ Loisel, French-Canadian fur trader ciety, Shelbina, presented an illus­ and Kansas land owner, was given by trated program on Indian archaeology Hamlin Miller at the June 13 meet­ in Missouri. Various Indian artifacts ing. were displayed including items found Joseph W. Snell, curator of manu­ in a burial plot on the farm of Vernon scripts at the Kansas State Historical Parrish, near Edina. Society, spoke at the July 11 meeting One of the projects of the Society on "Captain William S. Tough, his this year is the cataloging of ceme­ Buckskin Scouts, and War on the teries in the county. All cemeteries in Border." Salt River, Shelton and Bourbon Townships have now7 been recorded.

Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society Lawrence County Historical Society Some 125 persons attended the May Mrs. Knox Hight, Aurora, spoke on 22 meeting at the Auxvasse Commu­ historical events in Lawrence County nity Hall. Clayton H. Hook presented during the past 95 years, at the July the program entitled, "The Early 16 meeting in the County Library, History of Auxvasse, 1841-1900." Sup­ Mt. Vernon. Included in the talk were plementary remarks were made by incidents from a diary of her grand­ Bernard Harrison. A display of docu­ father, J. D. Hillhouse, early settler in ments and articles illustrated the com­ the County. Items of historical inter­ munity's history. est were displayed. Approximately 75 people attended the July 17 meeting in the RE A Building, Fulton. The program con­ Lewis County Historical Society sisted of the following selected read­ At the July 13 meeting in the La- ings from Judge Hugh P. Williamson's Belle School, Russell Burk presented book, South of the Middle Border: a program on trees and shrubs of "Hog Killing Time in Missouri," read Lewis County. A large number of by the Reverend Raymond McCal- seeds, leaves, twigs, and blossoms of lister; "Four Brothers," read by Dave many tree varieties were displayed. Stinson; "A Journey To Town," read Work is progressing on the Society by Mrs. Hugh P. Williamson. project of mapping and platting old county cemeteries.

Kirkwood Historical Society Members of the Society enjoyed a Macon County Historical Society picnic supper, June 13, at the Kirk­ Forty-two members and guests at­ wood City Park. Officers of the Society tended the May 17 meeting at the are W. King Ambler, president; Oscar Traveller Cafe in Macon. Gerald Kerr, H. Jekel, vice president; Mrs. Nancy director of the University Extension Frazer Meyer, secretary; and Mrs. Service for Macon County, spoke on William F. Impey, treasurer. "Population Trends and Changes in 66 Missouri Historical Review

Agriculture for the Last One Hundred lifetime. Mrs. B. F. Goodman pre­ Years in Macon County." Officers sented a history of the Versailles ceme­ elected for the coming year were the tery from 1835-1840 to the present. A Reverend Clark Hargus, president; report on the county cemetery census Leonard Patton, vice president; Mary was given by Mrs. Gerald Yarnell. Mrs. Graves, secretary; and Mrs. Howard Preston Hutchison displayed a map Gillelaml. treasurer. of the county showing the location of area cemeteries. Members toured the museum rooms and viewed the restor­ Marion County Historical Society ation progress of the building. The Society held a dinner meeting, Roy E. Otten presented a talk on July 12. at the Hydesburg Church in the history of newspapers in Ver­ Ralls Countv. The Reverend Willard sailles, 1858, to present day, at the Heimbeck presented colored slides on June 26 meeting in the Morgan Coun­ Mark Twain country and the Missis­ ty Bank, Versailles. sippi River. Mrs. Pat Conrad gave a pantomime and an impersonation of Mollv Brown. Native Sons of Kansas City In a recent general report of the Archives Committee, Sterrett S. Titus, Moniteau County Historical Society executive secretary, listed subjects of At the Mav 15 meeting in the Ma­ local historic interest which, if found sonic Temple. California, conservation in print, handwriting or pictures, agent Richard Schroeder presented a would make valuable additions to the film on the journey of Lewis and archives. The archives collection is Clark. Mr. Schroeder, assistant scout now housed in the Missouri Valley leader, reported on the highlights of Room of the Kansas City Public Li­ a Bov Scout hike made last summer brary . along a portion of the Lewis and Officers of the Native Sons are Clark Trail. Woodford C. Taylor, president; Wil­ Some 60 persons attended the July liam M. Frick, first vice president; 17 meeting at the Tipton Grade James E. Mock, second vice president; School Auditorium. A panel discus­ Percy S. Lorie, Jr., secretary; George sion was presented by Mr. and Mrs. E. Hursig, Sr., treasurer: and James Frances Ketterlin, Mrs. Billie 'Font Anderson, historian. Lawson and Mrs. Preston Hutchison. At the June 12 meeting in Wish­ They answered questions on research bone Restaurant, Kansas City, Karl methods for tracing family connec­ W. Dissly, a special agent in charge tions and making cemetery survevs. of the Federal Bureau of Investiga­ Bill Wisdom spoke on points of his­ tion in Kansas Citv, spoke on "New torical interest in the countv which Concepts of Law Enforcement." should be preserved.

Pike County Historical Society Morgan County Historical Society Nearly 100 persons were present at At the first meeting of the Society in the July 28 carry-in supper at the the museum building, Versailles, May Eolia Community House. Honorable 22, Mvron T. McCollister spoke on his William Hungate, Congressman of the memories of holiday picnics and en­ 9th District, talked to the group on tertainments held in the area in his Lewis and Clark in Missouri, and dis- Historical Notes and Comments 67 cussed objectives of the Lewis and their work at the First Annual Art Clark Trail Commission. He presented, Show and Sale held at Patee House, to the Society, a framed picture of July 29-September 29. Trophies were Champ Clark when he was Speaker of awarded for the best work in oil, wa­ the House of Representatives. The So­ ter color, black and white, and in por­ ciety, in turn, gave to Mr. Hungate, trait, historical, sculpture and tole a copy of the history of St. John's painting. "Best Picture of the Day" Church in Eolia. was chosen each day by an out-of- town visitor, and a merit award was given to each artist for his best work. Pony Express Historical Association The Second Annual Pony Express Awards Luncheon, April 2, at Robi- Raytown Historical Society doux Hotel, St. Joseph, commemorated Members of the Society held a pic­ the 107th anniversary of the Pony Ex­ nic July 22 at Wildwood Lakes Club­ press, and the second year of Patee house, Raytown. Guest speaker B. J. House as a National Historical Land­ George spoke on the Civil War, Order mark. Awards were given to Thomas No. 11. Hart Benton, Waddell Smith, the late William C. Cole, David Morton and Gary Chilcote for outstanding con­ St. Charles County tributions to local or national history. Historical Society Silver Founders Medals were sent by New officers elected for the coming Waddell Smith, president of the Pony year are Kurt Schnedler, president; Express Centennial Association of San Philip Elmer, first vice president; Rafael, California, to St. Joseph Mayor John Becker, second vice president; Douglas Merrifeld and D. V. Frame, Mrs. Arthur Wilke, secretary; and president of the Pony Express Histor­ James Golden, treasurer. Paul Bryan ical Association. The medals were was appointed assistant treasurer. presented by Lee Starnes, executive The Society now has a membership director. Joseph Jaeger, Jr., director of of nearly 1,000. the Missouri State Park and Recrea­ tion Board, was the guest speaker. He talked on the value of tourism to the community. Shelby County Historical Society On July 16, the Society dedicated a Patee House officially opened the marker commemorating the site where summer season on May 30. The.build­ the first session of the county court ing is open free to the public from 10 was held, April 9, 1835, at the home a.m. to 5 p.m. week days and from 2 of William B. Broughton, near Oak to 5 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. Dale. The marker is located in the A patriotic ceremony and dedication yard of a home now occupied by Mr. of a flag pole plaque by the Sorop- and Mrs. J. W. Leeson. Estel Hardy, tomist Club was held at Patee House, Shelbina, presented the dedication July 4. Mayor Merrifield was the address. Thirty-six members and guest speaker. Special patriotic displays guests attended a carry-in picnic din­ were exhibited including a cherry ner at Pennyroyal Lodge near Hunne- wood chest, made by the father and well prior to the dedication. Mr. and uncle of President Abraham Lincoln. Mrs. Paul Erwin and Mrs. Russel Local and area artists exhibited Yancy were hosts at the event. 68 Missouri Historical Review

Smithville Historical Society the June 13 quarterly dinner meeting On July I, the Smithville Patterson at the Westport Presbyterian Church. Memorial Museum opened free to the On display were four paintings by public, with hours, 1-5 p.m., Fridays artist George Barnett. Recently pur- and Sundays; and 9 a.m.-5 p.m.. Sat- chased bv the Society, the works de- urdavs. Hostesses dressed in period pitL Civil War battles of Mine Creek, costumes guided guests through the 80- By ram's Ford. Independence and vear-old brick mansion. One room of Westport. Howard N. Monnett, co- the house is used as an office and in- editor of the Westport Historical eludes a historical library and genea- (Quarterly, explained the paintings in logical reference file. detail and told of the research that went into them. Fhe paintings were Westport Historical Society hung for a time at the Westport Approximately 150 persons attended Bank.

The Indian Summer

Franklin Missouri Intelligencer. January 1. 1825, As connected with the history of the Indian Wars of the Western Country it may not be amiss to give an explanation of the term ''Indian Summer." ...... during the long continued Indian wars sustained bv the first settlers of the Western Country, they enjoved no peace excepting in the winter season, when, owing to the severity of the weather, the Indians were unable to make their excursions into the: settlements. . . . early inhabitants of the country . . . through the spring and earlv part of the fall, had been hemmed up in their little uncomfortable forts, and were subjected to all the distresses of the Indian war. At. the approach of winter . . . the farmers . . . removed to their farms All was bustle and hilarity in preparing for winter, by gathering in the corn, digging potatoes, fattening hogs and repairing the cabins. . . . the gloomy months of ivinter were more pleasant than the zephyrs ol spring and the 1 lowers of May. It however sometimes happened that after the apparent onset ol winter, the weather became warm . . . and lasted for a considerable number of davs. This was Indian Summer, because it afforded the Indians another opportunity of visiting the settlement with their destructive warfare. . . . Toward the latter part of February, we commonly had a fine spell of open warm weather, during which the snow melted awav. This was denominated the "Pawwawing," from the supposition that the Indians were then holding their war councils for the purpose of planning the spring campaigns into the settlements. . . .

Not Enough!

Ashland Bugle, May 19. 1927. It has been scientifically proven that the earth goes 'round, but it wouldn't if divided among all the folks who want it. Historical Notes and Comments 69

HONORS AND TRIBUTES

Dedication ceremonies in Caruthers- U.S. Senator from Arizona, Barry M. ville, June 17, honored Colonel John Goldwater. The dedication address B. England, a native of that city, who was presented by Goldwater, England's performed heroic deeds in World War instructor during flight school and II and Korea. England was killed in later a close friend. Other guests at France in 1954. His airplane crashed the ceremony included England's three during a fog when he chose to land in children, his widow, Mrs. Marilyn a wooded area rather than the air England Hoff, a number of relatives strip wThere he would risk the lives of and a delegation of Air Force person- men on the base. A memorial of a nel. A proclamation by Governor War- U.S. Air Force jet was dedicated in ren E. Hearnes established June 17, the city park to Pemiscot County men 1967, as "Colonel John B. England and women who had fallen in the Memorial Day." Alexandria Air Force service of the nation through the Base, Louisiana, where England was years. A plaque honoring England was stationed at the time of his death, unveiled on the memorial by former was renamed England Air Force Base.

The Younger-James Show Warrensburg Weekly Standard Herald, September 18, 1903. The Younger James wild west aggregation which was showing in this city last Thursday . . . made no great hit here. In fact the whole entertainment seemed to savor considerably of a frost. The people of Warrensburg and John­ son county did not seem to take kindly to the men advertised at the head of the show and stayed away. The day when Frank James and Cole Younger, common thieves and murderers that they are, are held up as heroes in western Missouri has passed. . . . The two ex outlaws seemed to have enough self respect left to be ashamed of the part they were playing. The only part James played was to head the grand entre. His tall bony form mounted on a big claybank horse at the head of the procession w^as the cause of faint applause, but was so faint it soon died away. Younger did not make any display of himself, except to hang around the main entrance, where occasionally some admirer would grasp his hand. Younger is a typical Missourian of the days before the war. He is florid and of stout build, looks to be sixty years of age, and his dialect is of the broadest ante­ bellum type.

The Painter-Politician Fayette Boon's Lick Times, June 20, 1846. Geo. C. Bingham is a candidate for the Legislature in Saline county. He can paint the beauties of locofocoism in glowing colors. 70 Missouri Historical Review

GIFTS MRS. R. W. ALEXANDER, Fulton, donor: Account Books: 93 volumes from Wr. E. Berghauser & Co., Fulton, ca. 1876- 1922.

ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE, ORIENT OF MISSOURI VALLEY OF ST. LOUIS, St. Louis, donor: A collection of slides among which are depictions of American and Missouri History.

MRS. B. J. BLESS, JR., Weston, donor: Booklet: Commemorating the One Hundred and Txvcnty-fifth Anniversary of the Founding of Holy Trinity Parish, Weston, Missouri, 1842-1967.

SALLY KNOX BOONE, Carthage, donor; through MRS. JOHN FLANIGAN, JR., Carthage: Miscellaneous material on the Boone Family.

TRENTON BOYD, Columbia, donor: Church Minutes: Mt. Carmel Baptist District Association and Auxiliary, 1932 and 1957; Salem Association, 1860. Miscellaneous church bulletins and records. HARRY BRADLEY. Webster Groves, donor: St. Louis City Directory, 1842. MR. AND MRS. FRED J. BURKHART, Liberty, Kentucky, donors: Booklet: The Autobiography of William Mordecai Williams, resident of Gentry County.

JOYCE COOPER CAMPBELL, Chillicothe, donor: Photograph: Four Sons of Howard Countian Sarshall Cooper (Joseph. Ste­ phen, Hendley or Henley, and Patrick) .

CYRIL CLEMENS, Kirkwood, donor: Pamphlet: Mark Twain and Lyndon B. Johnson.

VIRGINIA LEE CLRTIN, St. Louis, donor: Books: The St. Louis Cathedral (1948), and The Cathedral of St, Louis (1964). WILLIAM CURTIS, Kansas City, donor: Pamphlets: The First Ten Years, St. Pius X High School, December, 1966.

DAUGHIERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, JANE RANDOLPH JEFFERSON CHAPTER, donor; through JOHN HOBBS, Jefferson Citv: Scrapbooks: Jane Randolph Jefferson Chapter, 1947-1949.

HUGH DENNEY, Columbia, donor: Microfilms: U.S. Post Office Department, Records of Appointments of Postmasters, 1789-1832.

CARVILLE V. EARLE, Columbia, donor: Term Paper: "Land Values in the Eastern Ozarks." Historical Notes and Comments 71

MRS. DONALD B. EHRLICH, Independence, donor: Two certificates from the Marmaduke Military Academy, Sweet Springs, 1893.

ROY H. HALL, Dallas, Texas, donor: Book: The Barron & Hall Family Histories With Notes on Related Families, by Roy Holmes Hall.

GLENN L. HEAD, Springfield, Illinois, donor: Xerox copy: A Brief History of the Wm. B. Walker Family, of DeKalb County.

VANCE JULIAN, Clinton, donor: Inaugural Address of Governor Thomas Reynolds, January, 1841. Newspapers: New Orleans Crescent City, December 2, 1840, and Detroit Daily Free Press, December 9, 1840.

MRS. HOWARD LANG, SR., Columbia, donor: Photographs: Two Columbia school scenes. Miscellaneous books, pamphlets and newspapers.

HERBERT T. LUNBECK, Malta Bend, donor: Booklet: Malta Bend Methodist Episcopal Church, Our First Century.

MRS. MANLEY; through DR. H. LEE HOOVER, Springfield, donor: Civil War discharge of Private George Moore, Company H, 15th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry, 1865.

VERNON R. MEYR, Altenburg, donor: Typescript on the history of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Altenburg. Photographs also included.

FRED G. MIESWINKEL, Mount Vernon, donor: Booklet: Biographical Index & Guide to Research, Lawrence County, Mis­ souri, compiled by Fred G. Mieswinkel.

TIM O'ROURKE, Parsons, Kansas, donor: Typescript: "A Biographical Sketch of the Honorable Isidore Moore," by Timothy J. O'Rourke; and "The Will of Isidore Moore, Sr.," of Perry County.

A. H. ORR, Malta Bend, donor; through SADIE A. HENDERSON, Marshall: Booklet: North Street Methodist Church, Marshall, Missouri, 94th Anniver­ sary, 1871-1965.

MR. AND MRS. LEE I. PARK, Washington, D.C., donors; through MRS. VIRGINIA BOTTS, Columbia: Genealogy: Records of the Bunch Family Reunion, 1793-1960, Descendants of Nathaniel Bunch & Sarah Wade Ray.

A. M. PRICE, Columbia, donor; through FRIENDS OF LIBRARY, Columbia: Civil War Letter: James A. Adams, Acting Provost Marshal, Columbia, to Beverly Price, Columbia, September 25, 1862. 72 Missouri Historical Review

HOMER PYLF, Bethany, donor: Typescript: "Memories and Reminiscences of Early Davs at Old Siloam [Springs]," prepared for the Gentry County Historical Society's July 9 meeting bv Mr. and Mrs. Emmet Seat, Denver, Missouri.

MRS. E. REESE, St. Louis, donor: Proceedings of the 61st-66th Annual Convention of Ladies of Grand Army of Republic, Department of Missouri, 1959-1965.

HARVEY SAALBERG, Kent, Ohio, donor: Newspaper: Seventy-fifth Anniversary Number, St. Louis Westluhe Pest, March 13, 1932.

MRS. T. ]. SANDERS, Oak Grove, donor: Letters: William S. Rogers, Sibley, Jackson County, 1865-1897.

WALTER A. SCHROEDER, Columbia, donor: The Eastern Ozarks, Geography Through Maps, by Walter A. Schroeder (Special Publication No. 13, National Council for Geographic Education) .

JOHN L. SULLIVAN, Flat River, donor: Handwritten history: Flat River, Missouri,. 1966, Volume 2, bv John L. Sullivan.

MRS. RUTH ROLLINS WESTFALL, Columbia, donor: Photograph: Houston H. Crittenden, son of Governor Thomas Theodore Crittenden.

JACK WYMORE, Liberty, donor: Book: Goodbye, Jesse James, compiled and published bv Jesse James Bank Museum, Liberty.

Mrs. Jessie Fremont Columbia Missouri Statesman, June 30, 1871. Mrs. Jessie Fremont looks as youthful as ever, but her hair is prematurely white, and lends additional beautv to her face. She was married to Mr. Fremont verv much against her father's wishes, but the old gentleman, who by the way, was Thomas Hart Benton, or Old Bullion, as he was called, U.S. Senator from Missouri, allowed the ceremony to take place in his own house. After it was over, Mr. Benton wrote out the marriage notice and took it to the Washington Globe office. Handing the notice to Francis P. Blair, Sen., who was the editor of the Globe, Gen. Jackson's organ, he requested its insertion. Mr. Blair read over the manuscript, and the following dialogue ensued: Blair. "Colonel, this is not the usual form of marriage notice." It now reads "that Miss Benton married Mr. Fremont." "Permit me to transpose the names." Benton (very emphatically.) "No, sir; no, sir, John Charles Fremont did not marry Jessie Benton, sir; Jessie Benton married John Charles Fremont, sir." The announcement appeared in the Globe as it. was written. . . . Historical Notes and Comments 73 MISSOURI HISTORY IN NEWSPAPERS

Appleton City Journal May 25, 1967—A history of the Hudson community in Bates County.

California Democrat April 27, 1967—A. history of Bethel Mennonite Church near Latham, com­ piled by Mrs. Roy Gerber. May 4—"Enon's History Dates Back Long Before it Became a City in 1891," by Mrs. Ray Medlen.

Columbia Missourian May 7, 14 & 28, 1967—The column "Do You Remember?" featured respec­ tively, Stephens College horse show; Columbia Missourian copy desk; and home economic instruction, University of Missouri. June 8—A short article recalling the first enrollment of women at the Uni­ versity of Missouri, 100 years ago, featured a review of style changes throughout the years. June 18—An article by Dale Schoenberger, "University Has Link with the Indian West," featured Dr. John G. Neihardt of the University of Missouri's English Department. Dr. Neihardt has obtained great recognition for his epic poem, "Cycle of the West."

Gainesville Ozark County Times May 11, 18 & 25, June 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29, 1967—A series on Ozark County post offices by Ruby M. Robins. July 27—"Crisp Stave Mill Operates Here Thirty-two Years."

Jackson Journal May 3, 1967—A history, "The China Painting Class at the Jackson Military Academy," written and illustrated by K. J. H. Cochran. May 3, 10, 17 & 24, June 14, 21 & 28, July 5, 12, 19 & 26—A series of old photographs of area schools, ball teams, lodge and young men. May 10—"A Lost Foot Print in the Sands of Time," the story of Joseph M. Lansmon. This, and the articles below, written and illustrated by K. J. H. Cochran. May 17 & 24—A two-part history of Emmanuel United Church of Christ. May 31, June 7 & 14—A history of the area medical profession. June 21 & 28, July 5, 12, 19 &* 26—A series on the Delta, Missouri, area.

Jefferson City Sunday News and Tribune June 18, 1967—A history of St. John's Lutheran Church of Lohman.

Kansas City Star May 7, 1967—"Bataan Anniversary Recalls Bitter Days in Philippines," by Ralph M. Knox. May 25—A story of Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas, was told by Eris Gotf. May 27 & July 22—"Missouri Heritage," a series by Lew Larkin, featured respectively the Platte Purchase and the life of Josiah Gregg. 74 Missouri Historical Review

June 4—A history, "A 75-Year Feat: Our Parks and Boulevards,*' by Al Bohling. July 25—A biography of Lulie Gillett, first woman graduate of the Univer­ sity of Missouri, was related by Charles Hucker in the article, "MX". Delves Into Past for Spelling." July 26—An article bv Tom Bogdon, about the Younger Family reunion, July 30, near Lee's Summit recalled some area Civil War incidents and stories in the life of Cole Younger.

Kansas City Times May 3, 1967—"[Francois] Chouteau's Trail Was First to Bisect the City," by John Edward Hicks. May 13 & 20, June 3 & 10, July 1, 8 & 19—"Missouri Heritage," a series by Lew Larkin, featured respectively Meriwether Lewis and William (lark, Robert Thompson Van Horn, early Missouri history, slavery in the state, Fourth of July observances, Civil War General Franz Sigel and the Battle of Carthage, and Alexander McNair. May S—"Trail Blazed by [Charles] Lindbergh Leads to the Moon." by Ralph Dighton. May 25—"President [James M. Sellers] of Wentworth [Military Academy, Lexington] Recalled His Role as Marine in World War I." June 8—An article about the Union Cemetery in Kansas City was written by Paul J. Haskins. June .9—"Tantalizing Clues to Spanish Fort [Carondelet] in Missouri." by Patrick Brophy. June 14—"Delawares [near Kansas City] Were Advanced Among Indian Tribes," by Margaret W. Teague. July 6—"Truman Library Flas Become a Working Memorial," bv Tom Bogdon. July 11—"This Area Endured Guerrilla War a Century Ago," by Lew Larkin. July 18—An article by Margaret Olwine presented a history of the George S. Park home in Parkville and noted the relocation of the house. July 29—"Fun and Excitement 50 Years Ago at Countv Seat [Carrollton]," by Harold Calvert.

Linn Osage County Observer May 4 & 25, June 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29, July 20 & 27, iP

Marshall Daily Democrat-News July 10, 1967—A special Railroad Section featured numerous articles in­ cluding a history of Slater, a railroad town; a report of the July 10, 1901, train wreck near Sulphur Springs; reminiscences; and biographies.

New York Times May 7, 1967—An article by Ed Van Dyne, "Where 'Huck Finn' Was Born," featured Mark Twain in Elmira, New York.

Paris Monroe County Appeal July 20, 1967—"The Mexico Covered Bridge," by Ralph Gregory. Historical Notes and Comments 75

St. Charles Journal October 13, 1966—"First National Bank [of St. Charles]." This, and the articles following, by Edna McElhiney Olson. November 3—"Lewis-Clark Mural [in the St. Charles Savings and Loan Association]." December 1—"[The Stephen H. Wallenbrock] Dutch Colonial Home." February 2, 1967—"Missouri Indians." March 9—"[Edward F. Gut] House With Cornerstone." March 16—"Marvin [Methodist] Camp Grounds." March 30—"Mary Meek." April 27—"Millington Castor Oil Factory [of St. Charles]." May 11—"Horse Thieves."

Ste. Genevieve Fair Play May 5-July 28, 1967—A weekly series, "History of Our Town," by Mrs. Jack Basler. July 28—Old photographs of World War I recruits of Ste. Genevieve County.

St. Louis Globe-Democrat May 6-7, 1967—' 'As I Remember [Harry S.] Truman'," by Major General Harry H. Vaugh.an, as told to Vera Glaser. May 7, 14 & 21, June 4 & 25, July 9, 16, 23 & 30—The column "Looking Backward," featured respectively the St. Louis World's Fair, Mary Institute, Herbert Hoover at the old coliseum, world's champion boxer Primo Camera, Henry W. Kiel, bathing beauties of the 1920s, Virginia Hotel, Tower Grove and Jefferson Barracks' parade grounds. May 14—A special edition celebrating the National Transportation Week featured "Railroads—Their Big Role," by Charles G. Cross; "History of the Traffic Club of St. Louis"; "St. Louis—Once More Queen of the River," by W. J. Barta; "The Airlines—Service on the Wing," by K. L. Borgmier; "Truck­ ing—the Business Nobody Knows," by J. A. Altadonna, and a picture, "Trans­ portation in By-Gone Eras." May 20-21—An article about J. D. Wooster Lambert, a financial backer of Charles A. Lindbergh, by Sue Ann Wood. May 21— "[Charles A. Lindbergh] Young Man with a Plane," by David Brown. May 24— "Old Baden, the Town That Isn't," by Richard S. Krantz. May 27-28—"Ford's [Motor Company] 60 Years in St. Louis," by Ted Schafers. June 12—"Cardinal [Joseph E.] Ritter's Years in St. Louis." July 22-23—A history of Harris Teachers College, St. Louis, by Stephen C. Scott.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch May 2, 1967—"Jungle Showdown and Victory," Part 2 of an article on World War II by Theodore P. Wagner. May 8—"St. Louis the Exporter," an article by Carl E. Widell, reprinted from the St. Louis Commerce. 76 Missouri Historical Review

May c>—"[Harry S.] Truman at 83 Is Making Every Day Count," by Bill Osthoff. May 16—"Mark Twain's Final Pilgrimage to Missouri," by Ronald Powers. May 18—A short article by Theodore P. Wagner recalled the role of J. D. Wooster Lambert in the Charles A. Lindbergh famous trans-Atlantic flight. May 20—"[Charles A.] Lindbergh's Stopover in 'Spirit of St. Louis' and Epic Flight to Paris Recalled by Reporter," by Theodore P. WTagner. May 21 if 23— A two-part article by Jack Rice recalled the barnstorming career of S. L. (Casey) Lambert, June 9—A history of the McDowell Mill in Barry* County. July 2—A history of the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works of St. Louis by Curt Matthews. July 21—A short illustrated article by George McCue noted an early paint­ ing of Carl Wimar, a noted St. Louisan. The work, "Three Children Attacked by a Wolf." is at the Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis Room, St. Louis.

Salem News May 1-July 31, 1967—"History of Dent County," a weekly series. May S. June 5, July 3— A series of photographs of early county residents, activities and school classes.

Salisbury Press-Spectator May 26. 1967—"Old Newspaper Article Tells of Judge [Lucius] Salisbury's Death."

Shelbyville Shelby County Herald May 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31. June 14, 21 & 28, July 12 & 19, 1967-A series of old photographs featured county school classes and Bethel Bridge. The series is also featured in the Shelbina Democrat. May 24— The weekly column entitled "Historical Society News," by R. T. Neff, included a reminiscent history of the Hale School, written by Mrs. Walter McCue. July 26—Brief biographical notes and an old picture of veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Tuscumbia Miller County Autogram-Sentinel May 4. 1967—"Christmas Day, 1865, was wild at Rock Town, in Miller County," bv Clyde Lee Jenkins. July 20—"Trees Tell History of Tuscumbia Community," bv Clare Mace.

Psalms and "Hims" Hannibal Whig Messenger, June 16, 1852. A maiden lady, suspecting her female servant was regaling her beau on the cold mutton of the larder, called Betty and inquired whether she did not hear some one speaking with her down stairs? "Oh, no, ma'am," replied the girl, "it was only me singing a psalm!" "You may amuse yourself, Betty," replied the lady, "with psalms, but let's have no hims." Bettv curtsied, withdrew, and took the hint. Historical Notes and Comments 77 MISSOURI HISTORY IN MAGAZINES Annals of Iowa, Summer, 1967: "Carrie Nation in Iowa, 1901," by Louis Fitz­ gerald.

Bulletin, Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis, July, 1967: "Years of Turmoil, Years of Growth: St. Louis in the 1850's," by Charles Van Ravenswaay; "Paul Follenius," by Ralph Gregory; and "The Barr Branch Library," by Theo. V. Brumfield.

California Historical Society Quarterly, December, 1966: "A New Look at Wells Fargo, Stagecoaches and the Pony Express," by W. Turrentine Jackson. Cass County Historical Society Newsletter, July 22, 1967: "Cass County History, Harrisonville Occupied by Militia in Early '60s," by Robert A. Brown, re­ printed from Harrisonville Cass County Democrat-Missourian, June 2, 1967. Civil War Times Illustrated, August, 1967: "The Carondelet," by Robert D. Huffstot. Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly, July, 1967: "A Sketch of the Con­ fessional History of the English District of The Lutheran Church—Mis­ souri Synod," by George W. Bornemann. Essa World [Environmental Science Services Administration, U.S. Commerce], July, 1967: "View From a Civil-War Cornfield [Athens, Missouri], The Notes of Joseph T. Caldwell," by William T. Hodge. Florissant Valley Historical Society Quarterly, July, 1967: "A History of Public Education in Missouri, 1760-1964," a dissertation abstract, by Dr. Edwin J. Benton. Frontier Times, July, 1967: "Will [Rogers] and Charlie [Russell]," by Arnold Marquis. Historic Preservation, April-June, 1967: "Ste. Genevieve, Mo., Benefits From Federally Sponsored Study," by Lee Carter. Jackson County Historical Society Journal, Spring, 1967: "What to Save," by Dr. Philip C. Brooks; "Part of Jason White Home Built in 1845," by Berenice White; "John Campbell Built Famed Mansion," by Mary-Scott Crabbs; "Sallie Cave Grinter, Her Contributions Many," by Helena Fuchs Crow; and "Aunt Sophie's Cabin [in Raytown] Weathers Span of Years," by Ethylene Ballard Thruston. Kirkwood Historical Review, June, 1967: "Curtain Going Up! Memories of Theatrical Productions in Kirkwood," by Josephine Farrington. Lawrence County Historical Society Bulletin, July, 1967: "Lawrence County's Last Country School Gone as Edgewood Closes Doors," by Fred G. Mies­ winkel. Midcontinent American Studies Journal, Fall, 1966: " 'Who Is Judge Truman?': The Truman-For-Governor Movement of 1931," by Franklin D. Mitchell; "Truman and the Pendergast Machine," by Lyle WT. Dorsett; "Harry S. Truman and the Pendergast Machine," by Gene Schmidtlein; and "Truman and the Pendergast Machine: A Comment," by Richard S. Kirkendall. 78 Missouri Historical Review

Missoun Archaeologist, December, 1966: "The Archaeology7 of Arnold-Research Cave. Callaway County, Missouri," by J. M. Shippee.

Museum Graphic, Summer, 1967: "History of the St. Joseph Museum." Ozarks Mountaineer, July, 1967: "Hulston Mill," by Fred E. Schmickle; "Laclede County's Unusual Names/' by Mabel Manes Mottaz; and "New Day Dawns in Hollister, Missouri."

August, 1967: " 'The Barn Raisin,' " by Harold Hatzfield; and "Mr. Pioneer [Casper Lederer] and Still Going Strong!" by Eula Mae Stratton.

Pacific Historian, Spring, 1967:"Jedediah Smith Today," by Dale L. Morgan.

Plaza Magazine, July, 1967: " 'Once There was a [White's] Cider Mill ...,'" material furnished by Mrs. William Allen White.

Trail Guide. June, 1967: "Alias Jack McCall [murderer of Wild Bill Hickok]: A Pardon or Death?" by Joseph G. Rosa.

The 1 wainian, May-June, 1967: "Mark Twain's Room-Mate in St. Louis—Bur- rough Letters to [Albert] Paine from Clara (Spaulding) Stanchfield, Letters to Paine from [Joe] Goodman and [J. Y. W.] MacAlister."

—. _t July-August, 1967: "Letters to Paine from Charles J. Langdon, Let­ ters to Paine From Sam Davis of Nevada, Letters from Fred J. Hall to Paine. Letters from Susan Crane to Paine." West Virginia History, April, 1967: "A Source for Mark Twain's Feud," by Robert H. Sykes.

Westport Historical Quarterly, February, 1967: "What I Saw of Order No. 11," by Martin Rice. — . May, 1967: "Mills of Antiquity," by Adrienne V. Christopher: "Brief Biography of Allen T. Ward," by Frank Anthony W7ard II: "Letters of Allen T. Ward,'" by permission of Mrs. Richard C. Ward; "Other Mills in Jackson Countv." by Mrs. John Grinter; "White's Cider Mill," bv Essie Hoffecker White: and "The Old W7atts Mill," by Edwin A. Harris. White River Valley Historical Quarterly, Winter, 1967: "The Bolin Wilson Family." bv Ruby Steele; "An Old-Time Christmas," by Dr. William R. Howard: "Fhe Old McClelland Cemetery [near Hurley]," by Elizabeth B. Langley: "Ozark Notes," by Charles Rodgers; "Life in the Ozarks—Then and Now.' Part II, by Margaret Gerten Hoten; and "Ozark and Vicinity in the Nineteenth Century," Part II, by William Neville Collier.

ERRATUM It was reported in the July, 1967, issue of the REVIEW, page 528, that Dr. Elmer Ellis had received a $500 award which he in turn presented to the Mis­ souri Press Association. Dr. Ellis instead presented the $500 to the University of Missouri Press, Columbia, for expansion of its program of publishing books in the Jefferson tradition. Historical Notes and Comments 79

IN MEMORIAM

W. C. HEWITT character, "Simple," a Harlem philos­ W. C. "Cress" Hewitt, owner and opher with a Negro point of view. co-publisher of the Shelbyville Shelby Through Simple's voice Hughes com­ County Herald and trustee of the mented on race relations and current State Historical Society of Missouri, events. Simple's fame spread when died June 25, at his home in Shelby­ Hughes became a syndicated columnist ville. for the Negro newspaper, Chicago De­ Born, June 23, 1893, he was a life­ fender. A prolific writer, Hughes long Shelby County businessman. Af­ wrote approximately 30 volumes, in­ ter attending two years at the Univer­ cluding two autobiographies, collabo­ sity of Missouri, Mr. Hewitt was an rations on several operas, about 20 agent for the Shelby County Railway plays and thousands of articles and and a rural school teacher. He became poems. associated with the Shelby County Herald in February, 1918. He had MRS. HENRY LOUIS ROZIER, JR. been on the Citizens Bank Board of Kathleen O'Herin Rozier, daughter Directors in Shelbyville for many years of E. F. and Belle Ragsdale O'Herin, and was serving as president and was born at Denison, Texas, Decem­ chairman of that board. He was a ber 13, 1898. Educated at the old Visi­ member of the Shelbyville Methodist tation Academy in St. Louis, she was Church, Masonic Lodge, Shrine and married to Henry Louis Rozier, Jr., Order of the Elks. Active in politics, of Ste. Genevieve on November 24, he was a member of the Democratic 1921. State Committee for eight years and A descendant of a very old Ste. had served on various appointive of­ Genevieve family, Mr. Rozier was the fices including the Missouri Civil War son of H. L. and Sallie M. Carlisle Commission and the Missouri Water Rozier, the grandson of Francis Claude Pollution Board. He had been an and Marie Zoe Valle Rozier, and the Honorary Colonel for Governors For­ great-grandson of Jean Ferdinand and rest Smith, Phil Donnelly, James Blair Constance Pelagie Roy Rozier. Mr. and John Dalton. and Mrs. Henry Louis Rozier, Jr., Mr. Hewitt is survived by his wife, made their home in Ste. Genevieve at Grace McKethen Hewitt, whom he the historic Philipson-Valle Home. married, December 9, 1914; three chil­ Mrs. Rozier was active in both civic dren, Josephine Saffarrans, Monroe and religious work in the community. City; Jane Wright, North Kansas City; She was a member of the Knights of and Rogers Hewitt, Shelbyville. Columbus Auxiliary, the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, the JAMES LANGSTON HUGHES Queen's Daughters charitable society, James Langs ton Hughes, Negro the Ste. Genevieve Chamber of Com­ poet, author and playwright, died May merce and the Ste. Genevieve Mu­ 22 in New York City. Born in Joplin, seum. Mrs. Rozier was instrumental February 1, 1902, he gained recogni­ in establishing the Ste. Genevieve tion as a writer when he took first Library and served as a member and prize in a poetry contest for Negro officer of that organization for over writers sponsored by Opportunity 20 years. She was president of the Magazine in 1925. Hughes created the Helen Smith memorial fund of the 80 Missouri Historical Review

Ste. Genevieve Federated Women's HARVEY, GEORGE Y., Columbia: Oc­ Club and acting chairman of the Ste. tober 28, 1907-June 24, 1967. Genevieve County Cancer Unit. HEWITT, R. FLOYD, Boise, Idaho: Oc­ Mrs. Rozier died, January 27, at tober 2, 1891 -March 31, 1967. her home in Ste. Genevieve. She is HILDNER, REVEREND GEORGE }.. Villa survived bv a son, Henry L. Rozier, Ridge: Died April 24, 1967. Riverton, Wyoming, and a daughter, Mrs. Glenn Duncan of Sherman, INGRAHAM, ROBERT J., Kansas City: Texas. August 26, 1898-April 28, 1967.

BALLEVV, CLAY, Quincy, Illinois: Jan­ JONES, GRACE G., Washington: Au­ uary 31, 1886-February 6, 1967. gust 9, 1885-April 21, 1967.

BASS B. R„ Rolla: January 21. 1897 LEIMBROCK, C. H. O., Marshall: Jan­ August 4, 1966. uary 10, 1880-February 22, 1967.

BAITS, MAUD, Lexington: November MAYES, WALTER WILSON. Santa Ana, 16, 1881-April I, 1967. California: June 8, 1869-December 3, 1966. BRANCH. DR. HAROLD F., Kansas City: November 26, 1894-October 8, MCNEELY, LESTER R., San Bernar­ 1966. dino, California: December 14. 1888- February 20, 1967. BULGER, DR. HAROLD A., St.. Louis: Julv 10. 1892-November 2. 1966. MOBERLY, O. H., Chillicothe: Febru­ ary 24, 1875-February 4, 1967. CLARK, W. A., Cape Girardeau: April 26, 1901-August 4, 1966. NULL, GEORGE M., St. Charles: Feb­ ruary 23, 1884-June 6, 1967. COUNSELL, DR. C. M., Kansas City: April 29, 1883-April 29, 1967. OLOUCHLIN, IVAN, St. Louis: August 10, 1910-April 6, 1965. DEINES, E. Flu BERT, Russell, Kan­ sas: March 20, 1894-July 2, 1967. PACE, JOHN L., Bourbon: August 15, 1884-December 9, 1964. DIETRICH, BENJAMIN E., Cape Gir­ ardeau: March 7, 1889-July 13, 1966. PULLEY, E. P., San Jose. California: DiT.ix, THOMAS S., West Linn. Ore­ February 18, 1891-April 17, 1967.

gon: June 6, 1861 -February 27, 1966. SULLIVAN, WILLIAM VICTOR. Prescott,

FARE, COLONEL CLAUDE C, Nevada: Arizona: August 21, 1897-Sept ember August 9, 1886-July 9, 1967. 21, 1966.

ELLIOTT, LEONA, LOS Angeles, Cali­ WEBSTER, DR. J. G., Kansas City: fornia: 1888-August 16, 1966. March 21, 1894-July 28, 1964.

FISCHER, CHARLES L., Arnold: Mav 7, WISEMAN, MRS. HENRY, Cape Gir­ 1899-April 25, 1966. ardeau: April 20, 1896-December 14, 1966. GUNN, O. S., Shawnee Mission, Kan­ sas: September 27, 1881-December 18, WOOD, DEAN EARL, Kansas City: Jan 1965. uarv 3, 1905-May 14, 1967.

HALTER, MILLARD M., St. Louis: YOUNG, MRS. E. B., Belton: Died August 24, 1898-July 2, 1966. July 29, 1966.

HARMON, MRS. LYDIA, Columbia: ZLMMERMANN, E. L., St. Louis: Oc­ March 6, 1880-June 28, 1966. tober 30, 1897-October 29, 196... Historical Notes and Comments 81

BOOK REVIEWS The Whig Party in Missouri. By John Vollmer Mering (Co­ lumbia: University of Missouri Press, 1967). 276 pp. Indexed. Bibliography. $5.00. More and more as historians deal with the problems of the Jacksonian Period they are coming to realize the value of state studies. Many times readers are left to infer the particular from the general and all too often the generalizations they must accept are shaky. This dilemma has become even more evident as interest in political party formation grows. In this capable monograph Pro­ fessor Mering focuses his attention on the Whig Party in Missouri in an attempt to lead to a greater understanding of the Jacksonian Period. Mering discusses the formation, life, and demise of the Whigs in Missouri within a chronological outline, occasionally broken by discussions of a special nature, such as the makeup of the party or its urban wing. What makes Mering's presentation so interesting stems from the very circumstances of the Whig Party. Missouri Whigs found themselves in the unenviable position of being a minority party in an overwhelmingly Democratic state. Therefore, much of Mering's study is devoted to tracing the efforts of the Whigs to maintain their unity and organization in the face of this Democratic dominance. Mering begins with a discussion of "Tardy Whiggery" in Mis­ souri. He points out that the party did not formally organize until 1839 when an already existing organization simply formalized and took the name Whig. Contributing to this tardiness were the oc­ casional successes the Whigs enjoyed by playing one Jacksonian off against another to gain the one more amenable to their Ameri- 82 Missouri Historical Review

can System principles. In essence, then, the Whigs or "Opposition" in Missouri acted more like a pressure group than a political party until 1839. Mering maintains that the Whigs in Missouri, unlike those in the nation at large, did not represent the coalescence of politically opposed or even politically differentiated groups, but instead those who formed the Whig Party in Missouri had consistently acted together since 1828. Once he has the party formalized, Mering turns to a discus­ sion of Whig characteristics. Here he accepts Charles Sellers' re­ vision of U. B. Phillips and Arthur C. Cole. Mering sees Missouri Whigs as nationalistic, business-oriented, and lacking tension be­ tween their business and slaveholding elements. He then proceeds with a statistical analysis of the composition of the party. Hesitating to draw sweeping generalizations, Mering does see Missouri Whigs as essentially better educated, wealthier, holding large plots of land, and less agrarian-slave-oriented than the Democrats. The Whigs in Missouri, then, do represent a snobbish bulwark against mobocracy. Indeed, Missouri Whigs hung back from the mass rush to outdo the Democrats in 1840. When he picks up his narrative thread again Mering proceeds with excellent skill to weave a picture of Whig activities from 1840 to the party's demise in the 1850s. This is not easy to do for the decade, 1845-1855, was a difficult time in Missouri politics and saw many intricate political maneuvers. The author leads the reader through this period in a clear and readable treatment. He emphasizes the Whig desire to maintain party organization and unity rather than to unite with one of the wings of the Democratic Party. When the Whigs could not elect a United States senator in 1854, even though they were a plurality party, the Whig Party structure collapsed. With the disappearance of the party organization Mering claims that it is fruitless to search for 'persistent" Whiggery in Missouri. In his mind it simply did not exist. Mering presents us with a well-written, exhaustively re­ searched, narrative which delineates the actions of the Whig Party in Missouri. However, he leaves unanswered several questions which chronically plague those who study politics during the Jack­ sonian Period. Problems, which if dealt with, would have greatly enhanced the value of the study. The most basic question is: What is Whiggism? What caused Historical Notes and Comments 83 one man to join the Whig Party and another of the same socio­ economic status to join the Democratic Party? While Mering ac­ cepts as "one of the commonplaces of American political history" the idea that the national Whig Party originated as a coalition of assorted political elements drawn together by their common antag­ onism to Andrew Jackson, his own study of Whiggery in Missouri might lead one to question this. He maintains that Missouri Whigs acted together long before they became a party and were not made up of disparate groups. Here would be an excellent opportunity for Mering to contribute to Jacksonian historiography. What caused these men to act together? What motivated them? In other words, Mering states that these people worked together, but never indi­ cates why. With an abundance of excellent Whig manuscript collections at his disposal Mering might well have worked along lines established by Glyndon Van Deusen in his article dealing with Whig ideology, or Marvin Meyers' suggestions regarding political "persuasions," of George Dangerfield's idea of "democratic" and "economic" nation­ alism. These men attempt to explain why party differences existed rather than merely accepting the fact that the two parties did exist. Perhaps a closer analysis of Whig ideology and motivation would have been more valuable than the statistical analysis of Whig characteristics. In point of fact, the Central Clique, which ruled the Democratic Party during the years Mering deals with, ex­ hibited the same characteristics that Mering attributes to the Whigs. They were well educated, wealthy, given to an oligarchic view of society and politics, and were commercially oriented. This leaves the historian with the problem of explaining why men of the same background and interests joined different political parties. Throughout his study Mering is careful and judicious in his conclusions. However, the reader is jolted by the certitude of the author's concluding statement. In an effort to refute the findings of Thomas Alexander regarding persistent Whiggery, Mering states: "There is no continuity between the membership of the Whig Party and any political group after 1855." He also claims that after 1855 it is a "vain search" for "a political organization composed exclusive­ ly of Whigs." In addition, he claims that it is "equally fruitless to search for a time when all former Whigs pursued the same course." Obviously, if one searched for a time when "all former Whigs . . . pursued the same course ... in a political organization composed exclusively of Whigs" it would indeed be a fruitless search. But, 84 Missouri Historical Revieiv

Mering has established impossible criteria, far more than Alexander would ever claim. He has also confused party structure with party ideology. It is certainly not fruitless to search for evidence that Whiggism persisted even if its party structure did not. Mering provides the ammunition for his own rebuttal in his opening chapter. He claims that the "Adams-Clay men did possess one attribute of a political party ... an attribute that a distinguished political scientist has labelled 'in-group perspectives.' This 'dis­ tinguishable set of perspectives, or ideology, with emotional over­ tones' did not in itself give the character of a political party, but certainly common attitudes furnished Missouri's opposition with enough identity and cohesion to warrant beginning the study of Missouri's Whig party7 some years before there was a party by that name in the state." If Mering is willing to see a "distinguish­ able set of perspectives, or ideology with emotional overtones" prior to the actual formation of the formal party structure, one wonders why he concludes that these ideas, attitudes and ideologies sud­ denly disappeared with the extinction of a formal party structure that was not necessary to bring about their initial appearance. Mer­ ing falls into this snare by ignoring Whig ideology throughout his work, thereby allowing him to accept its sudden extinction. It is interesting to note that a study of the voting behavior of all Missouri counties from 1832 to I860 reveals definite patterns. If one observes the post-1854 voting behavior of the counties which Mering designates as Whig one sees a fascinating example of life after death. There is near-perfect correlation in the voting behavior of all these Whig counties. For example, Boone County voted for a Whig in the 1854 legislative election; for a Know-Nothing in 1856; for a member of the "Opposition" in 1858; and for a member of the Union Party in 1860. In the gubernatorial election of 1856 the county voted for Robert Ewing, a Whig candidate. In 1860 Boone County went for Sample Orr, an old Whig, for governor. In the presidential elections of 1856 and 1860 the county voted for Millard Fillmore and John Bell respectively. If this does not indicate "per­ sistent" Whiggery, it is certainly a strange coincidence that all the Whig counties voted alike after 1854. The evidence seems to indicate that people simply do not easily surrender their political ideologies, even upon the demise of the formal organization of their party. This brings us back to the main criticism of the book. There is no effort to delineate what constituted Whiggism in Missouri or the nation. Historical Notes and Comments 85

Mering has written a solid book. If one wishes to gain an ex­ cellent understanding of the activities of the Whig Party in Missouri he will not be disappointed with Mering's study. This reviewer wishes, however, that Mering had gone beyond this and dealt with the intellectual problems of Whiggism and Jacksonianism.

University of Oklahoma Robert E. Shalhope

Agreement Albany Capital, March 1, 1934. In the circuit court I heard this dialog between opposing lawyers. One lawyer asked the other if he would admit certain things in the case. The other replied: "I admit nothing, I never admit anything, I do not admit that I am here in this courtroom right now." The opposing lawyer dryly remarked: "I will admit that you are not all here."—Independence Examiner.

One Was Enough! Jefferson City Daily Tribune, January 30, 1875. "Stranger, will you try a hand with us at poker?" "Thank you, gentlemen, but there are seventeen reasons why I can not accommodate you now." "Seven­ teen reasons for not playing cards?" "Pray, what are they?" "Why, the first is I haven't any money." "Stop! that's enough; never mind the other sixteen."—Ex.

Who Won the Prize? Novinger Record, June 29, 1906. There is a club at Macon, Mo., said to have the most prominent young women in the place for its ten members. There is also a young dentist living there who is very popular. Recently he went to the club members and said that he had a lot of socks which needed to be darned. He offered to give a pair to each member of the club to fix up for him, and said that he would marry the girl who did the best piece of work. It is said there was some d-arned fine darning done. 86 Missouri Historical Review

BOOK NOTES George Washington Carver: The Man Who Overcame. By Lawrence Elliott (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1966, reprint, 1967). 256 pp. Bibliography. $4.95.

Lawrence Elliott presents a sensitive portrait of Carver based on a wide selection of documentary sources and the recollections of many people who knew and worked with the great scientist and humanitarian. The Carver story is one of courage which triumphed over seem­ ingly insuperable obstacles; of genius tempered by humility. Born a slave on a Southwest Missouri farm during the Civil War, Carver was plagued by ill health, prejudice and poverty. With few doors of educational institutions open to members of his race and no money except that earned by his own unskilled labor he was able to obtain a master's degree in agriculture and bacterial botany after years of struggle. A few months later the opportunity to share his knowledge with impoverished Negro farm families of the South came with his acceptance of the invitation to join the Tuskegee In­ stitute faculty, headed by Booker T. Washington. Washington told him, "Your department exists only on paper, Carver, and your laboratory will have to be in your head." But Tuskegee improved during the forty-seven years which Carver served there as a faculty member. He introduced improved farming methods on the 20-acre campus, designed the agricultural building and landscaped the grounds. At first by mule-drawn wagon and later by a more modern mobile unit he took his knowledge of soil improvement and crops directly to the farmers of the area. As the years passed, great in­ dustrial and financial leaders became interested in his unusual scientific experiments in the utilization of by-products from the peanut and the sweet potato. Realizing the need for cheap nutri­ tion for pauperized farmers, he transformed the peanut into one hundred appetizing dishes and from the peanut he developed more than two hundred totally new by-products. According to Elliott, Carver's experiment with the dehydration of the sweet potato was the forerunner of the dehydrated foods industry of today. Oblivious to fame and fortune, Carver refused to accept large sums of money offered to him by businessmen, but shared his knowledge freely with all who asked. Elliott concludes that "Carver was last in that remarkable succession of Negro leaders beginning with Frederick Douglass and followed by Washington, whose mission was to pre- Historical Notes and Comments 87 pare their people for equality." The George Washington Carver Na­ tional Monument at Diamond, Missouri, commemorates the scient­ ist's fame. Elliott, former associate editor of Coronet, is now a free lance writer. Reign of the Rabble: The St. Louis General Strike of 1877. By David T. Burbank (New York: Augustus M. Kelley, 1966). 205 pp. $7.50. Primarily through the use of newspapers, David Burbank, a staff member of the John M. Olin Library at Washington Univer­ sity, St. Louis, has constructed a vivid account of the St. Louis gen­ eral strike of 1877 which he labels "the first general strike of the modern, industrial labor movement in the United States." St. Louis was just one city among many which suffered from repercussions of the general railroad strike that paralyzed and frightened the na­ tion during the depression year of 1887. Beginning as a railroad workers' strike, soon many other members of the working class be­ came involved. On Monday, July 23, "General Order No. 1" was issued in the St. Louis area forbidding any freight trains to leave the railroad yards. The movement was led by the Executive Com­ mittee of the Workingman's Party and by Wednesday of the same week this committee and its followers virtually ruled the city. Al­ though Burbank explores the fears of those not associated with the movement, he concludes that St. Louis and its citizens were ex­ tremely fortunate that the strike, unlike those in many other cities of the U.S., was more peaceful than destructive. Because he relied almost solely on newspaper accounts, which were confused and conflicting, Burbank formulates his own opinions of this period in Missouri and St. Louis history. The work is not documented. In certain instances, however, citations would be helpful. Burbank's study will undoubtedly spur others to explore this dramatic period of labor history.

Van Dorn: The Life and Times of a Confederate General. By Robert J. Hartje (Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University Press, 1967). 327 pp. Index. Bibliography. Maps. $8.95.

As the great sectional crisis rapidly approached the North and South in 1860, one of the men whom southerners would look to for leadership on the field of battle was Earl Van Dorn. Van Dorn was a member of the 1842 graduating class of West Point. His academic 88 Missouri Historical Review

career at West Point left much to be desired; he ranked 52 out of 56 and received his best grades in. small unit tactics and drawing. Be­ cause of his volatile temper, Van Dorn constantly earned discipline demerits. Although his grades at West Point were on the verge of being atrocious the handsome Mississippian distinguished himself on the field of battle during the Mexican War and in subsequent actions against the Indians on the frontier. Van Dorn's success as a general in the Civil War suffered severe setbacks when he was given a command in the trans- Mississippi theater in 1862. The courses he failed to master at West Point became evident in all his military engagements in Missouri. Some of his bigger faults were the lack of proper reconnaissance before any action and his failure to inform subordinates of his com­ plete plan of battle. Van Dorn always stressed speed and surprise in his tactics but usually he left the other necessary ingredients for a successful operation to his adversary. The problems this Southern­ er encountered are made evident by Professor Hartje's treatment of the war in Missouri. The illustrious names connected with this period of Missouri history once again appear to the reader. Besides his own misconceptions and miscalculations, Van Dorn was bur­ dened with the personal animosities between Sterling Price and Ben McCulloch. The lack of a professional army no doubt added to his worries. Van Dorn was always obsessed with the thought of seizing St. Louis for the Confederacy but this obsession was never realized. Unfortunately Van Dorn failed to profit by his mistakes in Mis­ souri and repeated some of his blunders at the Battle of Corinth, Mississippi. But the dark clouds of defeat left the horizon with the spirited and well-conceived defense of Vicksburg, Mississippi, con­ ducted by Van Dorn in 1862. In December of the same year Van Dorn finally found the niche that suited his talents. His successful cavalry raid at Holly Springs, Mississippi, allowed his skill in com­ manding small unit actions to come to the forefront. Soon he was recognized as one of the South's great cavalry leaders and his name found a place next to those of Nathan Bedford Forrest, John Mor­ gan and Joseph Wheeler. At times, the relationships between these officers were strained or antagonistic as is evidenced in Hartje's coverage of the personal feud between Van Dorn and Forrest. Van Dorn's promising career as a cavalry leader was cut short in 1863. Although married and a father, he had a reputation of Historical Notes and Comments 89 being a philanderer. This reputation led to his demise when a doc­ tor in Sleepy Hollow, Mississippi, shot and killed Van Dorn in an argument involving the doctor's wife. Professor Hartje, hampered by the lack of historical evidence concerning certain periods of Van Dorn's life, has, nevertheless, re­ searched his topic well and he has augmented this research with an easily-read style. His study once again illustrates that the Lees, Jacksons, Grants and Shermans, besides making their own mistakes, had the insurmountable problems of rectifying the errors of men with lesser commands. Jewell Is Her Name: A History of William Jewell College. By Hubert Inman Hester (Liberty: William Jewell College, 1967). 257 pp. Indexed. This record of more than one hundred years of struggle and achievement of a church-affiliated school is an attempt to record accurately the chief events in the history of the college in popular, readable style. The author makes no claims for the volume as an exhaustive, definitive work. After a brief history of the religious activities of the earliest Missouri settlers, Dr. Hester presents a biography of Dr. William Jewell, founder of the college. Interesting pictorially are reproduc­ tions of the portrait of Dr. Jewell, owned by the college, and those of the presidents of the college from 1850 to the present. Dr. Jewell offered $10,000 in land to the Missouri Baptist Gen­ eral Association if the denomination would provide enough addi­ tional funds to build a college. The charter was signed by Missouri Governor Austin King, February 27, 1849. Afterward, Liberty was chosen as the college site and Dr. Jewell was elected commissioner to superintend the construction of the first building. He supervised the construction of Jewell Hall from 1850 until his death in 1852. Before his death, Dr. Jewell stipulated that B. McAlester, who had worked with him during the construction of the Boone County Courthouse in Columbia in the 1840s, continue with the supervision. Jewell Hall was completed in 1858 at a cost of $44,000 and still stands. Dr. Hester divides the college's history into three periods. The first dates from 1843 to 1892, the second from 1892 to 1943 and the third from 1943 to 1966. Brief biographies of the men who served as presidents and descriptions of the problems which confronted them are included. The faculty, the changes in educational philos- 90 Missouri Historical Review

ophy, student life, and growth of the physical plant receive due consideration. In the preparation of this work the author had access to the complete files of college catalogs, college year books, student pub­ lications, the minutes of faculty and trustee meetings, and various Baptist publications. In an appendix Dr. Hester lists the names and dates of service of college presidents and librarians, names and date of election of faculty and trustees, and names of all recipients of honorary degrees and citations for achievement with the date of conferral. Dr. Hester served as head of the Department of Religion at William Jewell College, 1926-1961; interim president, 1942-1943; and vice president, 1943-1961. Historical Saint Charles, Missouri. Compiled by Edna McEl- hiney Olson. Pictures by Rudolph Goebel, John Gossler, John P. Hoehn, Reinhart Stiegemeier and Atherton Warrell (St. Louis: Nies-Kaiser Printing Co., 1967). 100 pp. Not indexed. $3.50. The author dedicates this pictorial history to the memory of her mother Mary Johnson McElhiney, for "Her life crusade of his­ torical Saint Charles. . . ." Mrs. Olson says, "Her rare collection of old pictures, abstracts and court records have made this publica­ tion possible." Through succeeding years Mrs. Olson has faithfully added to her mother's collection. With excellent photographers who recorded the city's history from the mid-1800s to the present and with many historic buildings still standing, St. Charles, founded as a French settlement in 1769, and chosen as the state capitol of Missouri in 1821, has unusual in­ terest for both state and local historians. Mrs. Olson has devoted many hours of research to acquire the information which she uses with each photograph. She locates the sites and includes a fold-out map of St. Charles for the convenience of one who might wish to visit those which remain or to know the location of the buildings which have been razed. Reproductions from lithographs of St. Charles dated 1830 and 1835 and the original painting of San Carlos sent by King Charles IV of Spain for the dedication of the St. Charles Church of San Carlos Bor- romeo, are included in the author's brief introductory general his­ tory of St. Charles. Pagination and the inclusion of an index would have been helpful to readers. However, the four-color front cover depicting Historical Notes and Comments 91

the seal of the city, the excellent quality of printing on heavy glossy paper, the wealth of historical data and the rare photographs re­ produced with unusual clarity make the volume a collector's item.

The Dred Scott Decision. Edited by Stanley I. Kutler (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1967). 183 pp. Bibliography. $2.00.

Dr. Kutler assembles in this collection of readings a wealth of information on one of the most memorable Supreme Court deci­ sions in our history. Making liberal use of primary and contem­ porary sources, Kutler captures the political and legal moods of the time. Among his inclusions are the three most important opinions handed down by the Supreme Court, the convictions of leading politicians and legal minds and excerpts from newspapers that re­ flect divergent viewpoints. The final pages of this work are devoted to presenting classic interpretations of this decision by James Ford Rhodes, Edward S. Corwin, Frank H. Hodder, Wallace Mendelson and Arthur Bestor. Kutler's introduction and his suggestions for additional reading enhance the value of this work. Missouri and Missourians played a prominent part in this incident of history as is shown throughout. For those interested in the episode this paperback is well worth examining.

St. Louis Silversmiths. By Ruth Hunter Roach (St. Louis: Eden Press Publishing House, 1967). 107 pp. Indexed. $6.50.

Mrs. Roach describes the value of the Indian trinket trade and the importance of St. Louis as the westernmost outpost for the trade in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. From archival material showing the transactions of St. Louis fur traders, the author has listed purchases by these traders of earbobs, arm bands, gorgets (breastplates), hat bands, brooches and other objects. After the decline of the Indian silver trade in the 1820s, silver­ smiths made coin silver from money coins melted and heated until a flattened sheet could be cut, hammered and fashioned by hand into the object desired. Only eighteen St. Louis silversmiths made coin silver. As the result of many years of careful research, Mrs. Roach presents detailed information about the lives and the work of these men. Photos showing the style of each silversmith are in­ cluded.

The Story of Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. By Tony Fusco (St. Louis, 1967). 20 pp. Illustrated. Not indexed. 92 Missouri Historical Review

This is an attractively illustrated and factual booklet on the history of Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Located at historic Jefferson Barracks military reservation, the National Cemetery ranks as the fourth largest in the nation with approximately 45,000 buried there. Established as a national cemetery in 1863, interred within it are servicemen from the Revolutionary War down to the present-day Viet Nam conflict. Contained in the booklet is a history of Jefferson Barracks from its beginning in 1826 as a frontier garrison post to its acquisi­ tion in 1950 by the St. Louis County Parks Department; a short account of the Veterans Administration Hospital at Jefferson Bar­ racks; and a history of the cemetery which began as an old post cemetery with the first known and recorded burial in 1827. In the history of the Cemetery are brief biographies and in­ teresting notes on some of the persons buried in its grounds—six Confederate prisoners executed before a firing squad in 1864; per­ sons first buried at Fort Bellefontaine and reinterred at Jefferson Barracks; and others who died for their country. Revolutionary Soldiers Buried In Missouri. Compiled by Mrs. Hale Houts (1966). 286 pp. Not indexed. $10.00. This is a compilation of Revolutionary service records of veterans buried in Missouri from data secured by various Daugh­ ters of the American Revolution Chapters of the State Society. Information given for each veteran includes the name, arranged in alphabetical order and as much as possible concerning where he lived in the state; date and place of birth; date and place of death; where buried and if the grave is marked; the date and place of marriage and to whom; children, their names, date of birth, death, marriage and to whom; reference source for data; where military service was rendered; pension record; National number of a member of the D.A.R.; and other brief items of inter­ est about the veteran or his family. Information for each veteran varies in length and completeness. The purpose of this publication was to preserve the records of Revolutionary veterans already known by D.A.R. Chapters with the hope that it would be interesting and helpful to others and that more records would be brought to light. The author, Mrs. Houts, is genealogical records chairman of the Westport Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. For the publication of this work, she spent 35 years securing the material and had the cooperation of 87 D.A.R. Chapters. TRANSPORTATION TRIAL BALLOONS

Early in the 1840s gas-filled balloons were exhibited in St. Louis. At the hands of professional aeronauts they were soon amusing the public at Missouri Fourth of July celebrations, fairs, carnivals and circuses. The most outstanding balloon flight in Missouri was made by John Wise, O. A. Gager, John Lamountain and St. Louis reporter William Hyde. In a planned long-distance voyage, the group ascended from Washington Square in St. Louis, July 1, 1859, and landed near Henderson, New York. The record flight of 1,120 miles in 19 hours held first place in the world for balloon travel for some forty years.

From the 1860s to the early 20th cen­ tury numerous flights were held through­ out the State. On July 4, 1868, in Mexico, Professors Redmond and Yard exhibited a balloon which caught on fire shortly after ascending and fell into a tree. Pro­ fessor John H. Steiner made short aerial voyages in the Kansas City area the same summer and in 1871 Mrs. Agnes Lake's Circus toured the State featuring balloon ascensions by a celebrated scientific aeronaut, Professor George Middleton.

A voyage by the "World and Post-Dispatch" balloon from Sportsman's Park, St. Louis, June 17, 1887, was scientifically successful because of its great altitude. During the flight, Professor H. Allen Huzen, a representative of the Signal Service of the United States, carried on experiments and answered important questions in meteorological science, temperature and humidity. In November, 1908, St. Louisians Albert Bond Lambert and E. H. Honey­ well, on a long balloon flight to Northeastern Georgia, made two stops in Illinois.

Balloons, made of the best bleached muslin, silk or fine impervious textile fabric, were filled with hydrogen or coal gas and tied to a tree or stationary object to await departure. The aeronaut traveled in a large wicker basket sus­ pended from the concentrating hoop of the balloon. His supplies included food, drink, utensils, warm clothing, scientific instruments, compass, charts and thermometers. The only navigation possible in early balloons was in the ascent and descent. Instruments recorded the height of the balloon and indicated whether it was

93 94 Missouri Historical Review ascending or descending. Sun shining on the balloon raised the temperature of the gas which in turn caused the balloon to rise. At night it descended. The aeronaut increased the altitude by throwing out ballasts of heavy newspaper bundles or sandbags, or decreased it by letting gas out through an escape valve in the top. When the balloonist was ready to land he threw an anchor to the ground and waited for it to catch on a tree limb, log or some heavy object.

Balloon passengers described air flights as the most pleasant, and the fastest and safest mode of travel known, although extreme cold, and slight deafness and pain in the ears from great heights were drawbacks. Only the receding landscape below indicated that the balloon was moving.

Balloons were first used for military purposes in the United States during the Civil War when T. S. C. Lowe established a Balloon Corps for the Union Armv. His ascensions were made in "'captive balloons," secured by heavy ropes and held by ground crews which controlled the movement. Aeronauts could spot enemv troops, estimate their size, draw accurate maps and actually direct artillery fire through the use of telegraphic communications from the balloon. One was sent to Cairo, Illinois, under the charge of Captain John H. Steiner and was used by Commodore Andrew H. Foote during the attack on Island No. 10 in 1862. Anchored on the Mississippi during the battle, the aeronaut discovered that the Union shells were falling beyond the enemy. The error was reported, the range altered and the Confederate troops were soon forced to evacuate.

Balloon races became popular early in the 1900s. St. Louis was host to the Second International Race on October 21, 1907. Six European and three Ameri­ can balloons entered the contest. Beginning from Forest Park, the winner, "Pommern," piloted bv Oscar Erbloch of Germany, landed at Asbury Park, New Jersey, a distance of 876% miles. The second place balloon. Lisle de France/' piloted by A. Le Blanc, set a world's record for flight duration of 44 hours and two minutes. Distance measurements were made in direct line between starting and alighting points, but balloons seldom traveled in a straight line and the distance did not represent the actual miles covered. Later races were held in St. Louis for some 20 years but their interest declined with the develop­ ment of the airplane.

The St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 emphasized aviation. The aeronautic concourse, a 12-acre plateau west, of the Administration Building, surrounded by a 30-foot-high fence, enclosed an aerodrome or balloon house. A number of dirigible air ships or steerable balloons were exhibited. The most outstanding flight was made, October 31, by Roy Knabenshue in a dirigible.

Early in 1900 A. Lawrence Rotch, S. P. Ferguson and H. H. Clayton of the Blue Hill Observatory, St. Louis, carried on scientific experiments with Ballon- Sondes, or small closed rubber balloons containing instruments which recorded temperature and barometric pressure. The balloons expanded in rising until they burst and fell back to earth moderated bv parachutes.

As vehicles for transportation balloons were never reliable. Only in the field of entertainment and science did they prove verv valuable. But thev stimulated an interest in flying and provided a prelude to the age of air tra\el. Missouri Women In History

Phoebe Apperson Hearst

Phoebe Apperson Hearst, noted philanthropist, was cofounder of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers. Born December 3, 1842, in the Whitmire Settlement near St. Clair, Franklin County, Missouri, the daughter of Dnicilla and R. W. Apperson, she attended Salem log school and Steelville and St. James schools. At the age of seventeen she taught school at Reeder in present Meramec State Park. On June 15, 1862, at Steel­ ville, she married George Hearst, son of a neighbor, who had re­ turned to Missouri after twelve years absence in the West. While speculating on mines in western Nevada, Hearst had laid the foundation for a great fortune. The Hearsts made their home in San Francisco after their marriage. Travel abroad and serious study of the arts and litera­ ture formed the background for Phoebe's patronage of music and education. She was the chief and at times the sole sponsor of attempts to maintain a series of symphony concerts in San Fran­ cisco. She helped to establish kindergartens, orphanages and hos­ pitals. After George Hearst's appointment to the United States Sen­ ate in 1886, Phoebe transferred her philanthropies to Washington, D.C. The National Cathedral School and St. Albans School were founded because of her generosity. She established a training class for kindergarten teachers which for ten years was attended by 90 percent of Washington kindergarten teachers. With Mrs. Theodore Birney of Georgia, she founded the National Congress of Mothers, February 17, 1897, which in 1924 became known as the National Congress of Parents and Teachers. Returning to California after her husband's death in 1891, she served as the first woman regent of the University of California at Berkeley and gave more than one million dollars for buildings, scholarships, professorships and research at the university. Libraries and kindergartens in Hearst mining areas in Utah, North Dakota and Montana were also included in her benefactions. After her death in 1919, her son William Randolph Hearst gave a women's gymnasium to the University of California as a memorial. In Missouri the replica of the log Salem school, built on the original site with funds donated by Mrs. Joseph Flint, a niece, was dedicated August 4, 1963, by the Franklin County Phoebe Apperson Hearst Memorial Association. v-****-