MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW llH i in <iV£2>» THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI, COLUMBIA THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MISSOURI The State Historical Society of Missouri, heretofore organized under the laws of the State, shall be the trustee of this State-Laws of Missouri, 1899, R.S. of Mo., 1969, chapter 183, as revised 1978. OFFICERS, 1998-2001 LAWRENCE O. CHRISTENSEN, Rolla, President JAMES C. OLSON, Kansas City, First Vice President SHERIDAN A. LOGAN, St. Joseph, Second Vice President VIRGINIA G. YOUNG, Columbia, Third Vice President NOBLE E. CUNNINGHAM, JR., Columbia, Fourth Vice President R. KENNETH ELLIOTT, Liberty, Fifth Vice President ROBERT G. J. HOESTER, Kirkwood, Sixth Vice President ALBERT M. PRICE, Columbia, Treasurer JAMES W. GOODRICH, Columbia, Executive Director, Secretary, and Librarian PERMANENT TRUSTEES FORMER PRESIDENTS OF THE SOCIETY FRANCIS M. BARNES III, Kirkwood ROBERT C. SMITH, Columbia H. RILEY BOCK, New Madrid Avis G. TUCKER, Warrensburg LEO J. ROZIER, Perryville TRUSTEES, 1996-1999 BRUCE H. BECKETT, Columbia JAMES R. MAYO, Bloomfield CHARLES B. BROWN, Kennett W. GRANT MCMURRAY, Independence DONNA HUSTON, Marshall THOMAS L. MILLER SR., Washington TRUSTEES, 1997-2000 JOHN K. HULSTON, Springfield ARVARH E. STRICKLAND, Columbia JAMES B. NUTTER, Kansas City BLANCHE M. TOUHILL, St. Louis BOB PRIDDY, Jefferson City HENRY J. WATERS III, Columbia DALE REESMAN, Boonville TRUSTEES, 1998-2001 WALTER ALLEN, Brookfield VIRGINIA LAAS, Joplin CHARLES R. BROWN, St. Louis EMORY MELTON, Cassville VERA R BURK, Kirksville DOYLE PATTERSON, Kansas City DICK FRANKLIN, Independence JAMES R. REINHARD, Hannibal EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Eight trustees elected by the board of trustees, together with the president of the Society, consti­ tute the executive committee. The executive director of the Society serves as an ex officio member. ROBERT C. SMITH, Columbia, Chairman LAWRENCE O. CHRISTENSEN, Rolla WALTER ALLEN, Brookfield JAMES C OLSON, Kansas City FRANCIS M. BARNES III, Kirkwood Avis G. TUCKER, Warrensburg H. RILEY BOCK, New Madrid VIRGINIA G. YOUNG, Columbia VERA F. BURK, Kirksville MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW VOLUME XCIII, NUMBER 3 APRIL 1999 JAMES W. GOODRICH LYNN WOLF GENTZLER Editor Associate Editor ANN L. ROGERS AMY L. NORD Research Assistant Research Assistant The MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW (ISSN 0026-6582) is published quarterly by the State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, MO 65201-7298. Receipt of the MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW is a benefit of membership in the State Historical Society of Missouri. Phone (573) 882-7083; fax (573) 884-4950; e-mail <[email protected]>; website <www.system.missouri.edu/shs>. Periodicals postage is paid at Columbia, Missouri. POSTMASTERS: Send address changes to MISSOURI HISTORICAL REVIEW, 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, MO 65201-7298. Copyright © 1999 by The State Historical Society of Missouri COVER DESCRIPTION: Between 1928 and 1930, the Pierce Petroleum Corporation built a chain of tav­ erns that sold gas, serviced cars, and offered overnight lodging in the Ozark Mountain region. The facilities, located in such Missouri towns as Springfield, Rolla, and Columbia, serviced and promot­ ed the area as a popular tourist destination. Keith A. Sculle examines how the boom in automobile travel led the Pierce company to use innovative marketing and development techniques in '"Our Company Feels that the Ozarks are a Good Investment . ': The Pierce Pennant Tavern System," which begins on page 293. The cover features an image of the Columbia tavern after Sinclair Oil took ownership in 1930. [Cover illustration courtesy of Keith A. Sculle] EDITORIAL POLICY The editors of the Missouri Historical Review welcome submission of articles and documents relating to the history of Missouri. Any aspect of Missouri history will be con­ sidered for publication in the Review. Genealogical studies, however, are not accepted because of limited appeal to general readers. Manuscripts pertaining to all fields of American history will be considered if the subject matter has significant relevance to the history of Missouri or the West. Authors should submit two double-spaced copies of their manuscripts. The foot­ notes, prepared according to The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th ed., also should be dou­ ble-spaced and placed at the end of the text. Authors may submit manuscripts on disk, preferably in WordPerfect or Microsoft Word. Two hard copies still are required. Originality of subject, general interest of the article, sources used, interpretation, and style are criteria for acceptance and publication. Manuscripts should not exceed 7,500 words. Articles that are accepted for publication become the property of the State Historical Society of Missouri and may not be published elsewhere without permission. The Society does not accept responsibility for statements of fact or opinion made by the authors. Articles published in the Missouri Historical Review are abstracted and indexed in Historical Abstracts, America: History and Life, Recently Published Articles, Writings on American History, The Western Historical Quarterly, and The Journal of American History. Manuscripts submitted for the Review should be addressed to Dr. James W. Goodrich, Editor, Missouri Historical Review, State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, MO 65201-7298. BOARD OF EDITORS LAWRENCE O. CHRISTENSEN SUSAN M. HARTMANN University of Missouri-Rolla Ohio State University Columbus WILLIAM E. FOLEY ALAN R. HAVIG Central Missouri State University Stephens College Warrensburg Columbia JEAN TYREE HAMILTON DAVID D. MARCH Marshall Kirksville ARVARH E. STRICKLAND University of Missouri-Columbia CONTENTS CAMPAIGNING THROUGH MISSOURI: THE CLVIL WAR JOURNAL OF ROBERT TODD MCMAHAN, PART 2. Edited by Dennis K. Boman 241 EUGENE FIELD AND THE POLITICAL JOURNALISM OF ST. JOSEPH. By Lewis O. Saum 257 THE VISUAL ARTS IN EARLY KANSAS CITY. By George Ehrlich 277 "OUR COMPANY FEELS THAT THE OZARKS ARE A GOOD INVESTMENT . ": THE PIERCE PENNANT TAVERN SYSTEM. By Keith A. Sculle 293 HISTORICAL NOTES AND COMMENTS News in Brief 308 Local Historical Societies 309 Gifts Relating to Missouri 319 Missouri History in Newspapers 322 Missouri History in Magazines 328 In Memoriam 335 Graduate Theses Relating to Missouri History, 1998 336 BOOK REVIEWS 337 Waal, Carla, and Barbara Oliver Korner, eds. Hardship and Hope: Missouri Women Writing about Their Lives, 1820- 1920. Reviewed by Bonnie Stepenoff. Piott, Steven L. Holy Joe: Joseph W. Folk and the Missouri Idea. Reviewed by Gary R. Kremer. Gardner, Mark L., and Marc Simmons, eds. The Mexican War Correspondence of Richard Smith Elliott. Reviewed by James W. Goodrich. Norton, Richard L., ed. Behind Enemy Lines: The Memoirs and Writings of Brigadier General Sydney Drake Jackman. Reviewed by John F. Bradbury, Jr. BOOK NOTES 342 Kingsbury, Lilburn Adkin. Hobby Horse Rider. Edited by Warren Taylor Kingsbury. Gerard, Sue. Granny's Notes: "My First 84 Years." CONTRIBUTORS TO MISSOURI CULTURE: VANCE RANDOLPH Inside back cover State Historical Society of Missouri Campaigning Through Missouri: The Civil War Journal of Robert Todd McMahan Part 2 EDITED BY DENNIS K. BOMAN* Born in Pennsville, Ohio, on November 8, 1832, Robert Todd McMahan enlisted in the Second Ohio Volunteer Cavalry (OVC) on August 10, 1861.! In January 1862, McMahan and the Second OVC traveled by railroad from St. Louis to St. Joseph. Until March, the regiment fought a series of skir­ mishes with guerrilla forces in Missouri. After taking part in an expedition against rebel Indian forces in Kansas and the Indian Territory, McMahan returned with his regiment to Fort Scott, Kansas, in early August.2 The following selection from McMahan's journal was written after the Second OVC returned to Fort Scott. The young Ohioan had been detached into Captain Job Stockton's battery and was escorting a wagon train from the *Dennis K. Boman is an adjunct professor of history at Oklahoma State University and Rose State College, both in Oklahoma City. He holds the M.A. degree and the Ph.D. degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. 1 Unidentified newspaper clipping of McMahan obituary, Robert T. McMahan Papers, Western Historical Manuscript Collection, University of Missouri-Columbia. 2 For a brief summary of McMahan's education and military career see part 1, pages 133- 137. Part one appeared in the January 1999 issue of the Missouri Historical Review. 241 242 Missouri Historical Review fort, heading for northwestern Arkansas.3 The following entries of October 21-25, 1862, appear in the long version of the journal, in which McMahan provided a retrospect of his first year's military service.4 Fort Scott, Ks Oct 21st A.D. 1862. Nearly 18 months have passed since the attack on Fort Sumpter, by the rebels under Beauregard, and the surrender of the gallant Major Anderson and his handfull of brave men.5 During this time, thousands of our country's noblest sons have fallen in the defense of her "stars and stripes"; and thou victory has so frequently perched upon our banner, and a vast portion of territory has been reclaimed from the enemy, yet the "signs of the times" do, by no means, indicate a speedy termination of the war. When I enlisted (which was in Aug. '61)1 had no doubt but that the rebels would be completely conquered and peace restored within twelve months; and our Reg. (the 2nd O.VC.) dis­ banded and mustered out of service before the 1st of Sept 62. But I was mis­ taken. We have a brave and spirited enemy to cope with, and we may rejoice if he is conquered and peace restored by the close of our entire enlistment. But today, (Oct 21st '62) will, for a time at least, close my service as a cav­ alryman. On the 19th Capt. Hall detailed, by draft, from his company (E) three privates; Charles Etre, Theodore Campbell, and myself, as his quota of a detachment of 24 to be forwarded from the Reg. to Capt Stocktons Light Artillery, the members of which had been detached from the 2nd OVC Inf.