Bachelor
By Gene Hamilton
Bachelor is located approximately 9 miles east of Auxvasse and 7 miles northwest of Williamsburg. Shamrock is the metropolis to the east, located about 5 miles from Bachelor. The town of Bachelor was named after the creek of the same name, located near the town. From unsubstantiated folklore, the creek was named because two old bachelors moved to the area and established residence on the banks of the creek.
The original Bachelor post office was located about 2 1/2 miles northwest of the townsite, and a second post office was at a house on the John Will English farm, about 1 mile west. After the Bachelor store was built in 1886, the post office was moved there. Records of the Auxvasse Review reveal that a man named Calvert was the first postmaster and later a man named Barton served. John Will English followed Barton as postmaster, and after the post office was moved to the store location, Tyler Bernard, William Bernard, Mrs. John Y. Burt, Mary Eliza Hamilton and Clifford Hamilton served, in that order. The post office closed in 1959.
The original Bachelor store was built in 1886 by E. M. Dudley of Auxvasse. Tyler Bernard was the store manager. In 1888, Tyler Bernard and his father-in-law, G. T. Dudley, purchased the store from E. M. Dudley. Tyler Bernard died in 1925 after serving as store operator and postmaster for 39 years. William Bernard then became postmaster and operated the store. Mrs. John Y. Burt later took over the business and in 1934 sold the store to George and Mary Eliza Hamilton and their son, Clifford, and his wife Mary Faun. The Hamilton family operated the store until the mid-1960s. A new store was constructed in 1954, and the old building was razed. In the mid-60s, the store was rented by the Hamilton’s to Raymond and Nellie Sapp. After about two years of operation by the Sapps, the store closed and has not reopened.
Friendship Christian Church, located about 200 feet east of the store, was built in 1884 and has been utilized over the years as a Christian and community church. Services are still conducted there.
Harmony Baptist Church is about 1 mile west of Bachelor. It was organized in 1881. Its building was badly damaged by a storm in 1942, but the congregation was reorganized and a new building built in 1950. That church still has an active congregation. Like much of Callaway County, the Bachelor community was dotted with one-room schoolhouses, most of which closed in the 1950s. From Bachelor, Oak Grove District No. 21 was approximately 1/2 mile west, Elm Spring was 3 miles east, Hickory Grove 3 miles north and Scott School 4 miles south. The schoolhouses and post office are now gone, the store is vacant, and only the two churches remain of what was once Bachelor, Missouri.
Boydsville
By Dorothy Mottaz
The village of Boydsville was possibly settled in the mid-1800s. It is located in Round Prairie Township off of Route J, about 10 miles southwest of Fulton and approximately 2 miles east of Cedar Creek, which is the division line between Boone and Callaway County.
The assumption is that Boydsville got its name from Thomas Boyd of Pennsylvania, who settled in Callaway County in 1827, or one of his descendants. The village was never laid out or platted, according to William Boyd, Fulton abstractor.
Boydsville grew as the years passed. In the early 1800s, there was a post office, a general store and a grist mill. The post office and general store were located on the west side of the north-and-south road, which was later called the Paris Road. By 1910 there were ten houses, two general merchandise stores, one blacksmith shop, a post office and three mail routes through the village. One route was from the Fulton Post Office, and two mail routes were from Guthrie. The mail was taken from the train and sorted for delivery. These were long routes; they were 22 miles, 30 miles and 20 miles long, respectively. The reason for the three routes was that although the area had become more thickly populated, the roads were dirt and hard to travel. One long route, which came from Guthrie, traveled over Smith Creek and Cedar Creek into Boone County to deliver the mail. A postcard cost 1 cent, and a letter could be delivered with a 2-cent stamp.
The growth of the village and its distance from Fulton required more medical doctors, switchboard operators for the telephone communication system, a barber, churches and schools.
The first Christian church of Boydsville was blown away near or around 1912, and a new one was built off Route J near the town’s entrance in 1913 and was dedicated the following year. The date of the first grade schools for white children and black children is not known. Lura Anthony Tackett was born in 1885 and attended the school for white children, which was located 1 mile north of Boydsville. Tom Bedsworth was her first-grade teacher. The school for black children was located a 1/2 mile south of Boydsville and a 1/2 mile back west. It sat across the road from the Carter and Annie Connelly farm. Black children were sent from Millersburg, Carrington and Guthrie to attend the school. It was 9 or 10 a.m. sometimes before these children arrived at school, and often it was dark when they reached home because of the distance they had to travel and shorter winter days.
The first doctor who is known to have practiced medicine in Boydsville was Dr. Henry Miller. He practiced out of his home, which was the first house as you entered Boydsville. This was in the late 1800s. Direct descendants of Dr. Henry Miller include Raymond H. Miller, Oleta McDaniel, Ralph Howison and Mildred Craighead.
During this period, Mrs. Coons operated a switchboard for the telephone company, according to Pauline Adamson Blacklock.
The stores of Boydsville grew with the number of local residents and their offspring in the outlying areas. This growth gave rise to more trade; eggs, chicken, turkeys and rabbits were exchanged for commodities in the general merchandise store. These stores kept everything from sugar, salt, coffee and tea to horse collars, overshoes, boots, overalls, yard goods, makeup and patent medicines. On some occasions, they would sell men's and women's hats. Mail-order stores were used, and merchandise was shipped by parcel post.
Mr. James Woolery and his wife, Sadie, had built the second store, which was located on the east side of Paris Road, running north and south through Boydsville. This first-floor store contained general merchandise, and the second floor was for lodges. This hall was for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Rebeccas, Modern Woodmen of America, and Royal Neighbors. Some gala parties were held there during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Later in the 1920s and 1930s, dances were held in the Lodge Hall. It is assumed that this building was built in the late 1800s.
The second store had been sold many times from James Woolery to Frank Douglas. Douglas sold the store then to the Anthony brothers, Frank and Fred. The Anthony brothers sold the store to Lamar Bedsworth, who in turn sold it to Henry J. Wefenstette; J. Kelly Bruner then owned the building. In 1930 this building was razed, and the lumber was used to build a new house for Bruner in New Bloomfield. The third store building, owned by Thomas F. Tackett, burned on March 14, 1932. This building had a room built on the north side that housed the barbershop. The smithy was located just south of the store. These buildings burned at the same time the store burned, and they were also owned by Thomas F. Tackett.
Much of the trade during the late 1800s and early 1900s was done by railroad. The Chicago and Alton Railroad ran through Carrington, 3 miles east of Boydsville. Grain, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, sheep, hogs, cattle and fruit were transported on freight cars that served the area.
Cecil Howison built the third store around the turn of the century. It later became a home, then reverted to a store that sold general merchandise and was owned by Thomas F. Tackett and operated by Will Coons in the early 1920s.
Around 1916, Carter and Annie Connelly became the parents of one set of Siamese twins and another daughter. A miracle was performed as Dr. Suggett (who had followed Dr. Henry Miller and Dr. Pryor in practice at Boydsville) delivered the babies by caesarian section. Nannie Adamson assisted in this surgery at the home. The Siamese twins were born dead, but the daughter triplet, Iva Connelly, is still living.
This mill was located about 3 1/2 miles southwest of Boydsville. It was built on Cedar Creek, and flour, meal, and other commodities could also be purchased there. This building was later bought by the Claude Mountjoy family. The mill was closed down, and later, the building was razed by Fred Harris in around 1930. The material was moved to about 3 miles west of Fulton on the Columbia and Fulton gravel road, and a dance hall was built out of the material.
Some of the families who lived south, southwest and southeast of Boydsville in the shopping area and voting precincts were J. Kelly Bruner, Charles W. Howison, William Wefenstette, Clarence Wefenstette, Harry Trammell, Logan Trammell, John Uts, Luther Griffen, Hiram Holiday, Henry Holiday, Ridgeway Holliday, Claude Holt, Curtis Holt, A. Hardin Howison, Joe Sweeten, William Jones, Clell Cundiff, Bailey and Selma Scott, George Gaddy, Carter Connelly, Henry Shouse, Thomas Anthony, P. Floyd Tackett, Nannie B. Adamson, Mrs. Browning, Charlie Wright, Becky Wright, Rhiney Wilson, Sallie Hinshaw, Wrennie Clatterbuck, Willard Glover, Hugh Hendrick and Lawrence Hildebaugh. The residents who lived north, northeast and northwest were W. G. Bedsworth, Alex Howison, John Darby, Charles Baker, Billy Harris, John Wilkerson, the Otis Vaughns, Claude Mountjoy, Elmer Forsee, Millard Forsee, H. J. Wefenstette, Frank McCarty, W. J. Wilcox, Jim Sweeney, Egbert Humphrey, Henry Hale, McNear and Lewis Anthony. The people who had lived in Boydsville after 1844 up until 1983 are as follows: Sadie Woolery, Jim Woolery, Cleveland Freeman, Henry Foutz, M. F. Morris, Lamar Bedsworth, Harry Lynn, Frank Douglas, Dr. R. G. Hall, Dr. Pryor, Dr. Suggett, Dr. Henry Miller, Robert G. Anthony, Harold Ewing, Mrs. Adamson, Mrs. Long and children, Will Coons, H. J. Reynolds, Charles Baker and Cecil Howison.
Much of the area had been settled in the early 1800s. The land had been farmed heavily and only fertilized with natural manure and waste from crops. The land became less productive but was still good for grazing. The area felt the Depression very heavily in 1929.
The roads were graveled in the late 1930s, but electricity did not reach the area until 1940 and after 1945 because materials were not available for power until after World War II. Many farms were foreclosed during the 1930s, and by the late 1940s, the U.S. government had bought practically all farms south, southwest and northwest of Boydsville.
Carrington
By Myrtle Niedergerke
Carrington City, laid out by William Carrington on June 5, 1872, was for many years a thriving village and community with a railroad, several grocery and dry goods stores, a smithy, a drug store, a millinery store, a barbershop, a telephone service, a church and a school. Early grocery merchants, such as William Bowen, J. T. Woods and M. E. Gilbert, developed prosperous businesses there but later retired to their farms. In 1891, Thomas W. Kemp of Pitcher, near Hams Prairie, purchased the grocery store and moved his family to Carrington. He further developed his business by sending his two sons, Joe and Omer, in their huckster wagons into the community as far west as Cedar Creek, buying dairy and poultry products. After many years, in about 1910, he sold his business to O. Duley Scott and his daughter Lula Nevins, who was also the postmistress at the store. Roy Anthony and Omer Kemp were also partners in the store for a few years.
For many years, the Carrington Baptist Church and the Carrington Store were focal points in the community. On Saturday nights, neighbors came to the store to trade and remained to visit. Children had fun playing in the large warehouse, a part of the store. Improved roads and transportation caused a decline in business. Later owners of the store were Fred Anthony, Melvin Trammell, Herman Bohning and the Brattons. In October 1968, the store burned and was not rebuilt.
The Callaway Coal Company was the main industry in Round Prairie Township, which included moving the coal over the Chicago and Alton Railroad. It provided work for many people. Mr. Norris was the general manager of the company, S. Frank Smith was the engineer, and Earl Sampson was the shovel operator. The mine later became a nonprofit industry and was closed in the 1920s. As a result, the population and family incomes diminished, causing many families to leave the community. Now, some of the coal pits are used for recreational purposes due to their water and evergreen trees.
Carrington has always been an agricultural community and was well known during World War I and in the 1920s for its livestock production of horses and mules, cattle and some sheep. It was not unusual for a farmer to send three or more carloads of cattle to market by rail. Stock pens built north of the railroad almost always contained livestock ready to be marketed. Best known of the livestock farmers at that time were O. Duley Scott, O. M. Wilkerson, J. Scott McGhee and Elgin Forsee. Other well-known livestock and grain farmers then were Carl Divers and his sons, Percy and Ray; Carson Humphreys; Cecil Howison; Joe Griffin; A. D. Brooks; John McCarty; Luther Herring; Hugh Morris; and Vernon Forsee.
The Depression years caused losses and many changes in farming. Now, farming is mostly grain farming, with much of the land is under government management or in pastures with grazing livestock. Some present-day Carrington farmers are Ralph Howison, John Wallace, E.G. Patrick, Morris Conner, Bill Conner, David Callahan, John Guerrant and Ollie and Roy Shaon.
In the early 1900s, a telephone exchange system was built with Mrs. Moses Ashworth serving as telephone operator. After her death, the exchange was run for many years by Mrs. Will Sampson and later by Mrs. Orchard until it was modernized and became a part of the Fulton system.
The tornado of May 8, 1927, destroyed most of Carrington, very little of which was rebuilt. The church and store were completely demolished. The Elburn Thomas and Will Herring farm homes and buildings were destroyed. All homes in the area suffered some damage. The Carrington Baptist Church was rebuilt, half of the store was rebuilt, and some homes were repaired while others were torn down, not to be rebuilt. In 1932, the Chicago and Alton Railroad ceased to function, the rails were taken up, and the stock pens were torn down. The shutdown of the railroad impacted the community greatly.
Where once there was prosperity and profitable businesses in the village with its croquet courts, tennis courts and ice cream festivals, there is now a large expanse of green grass, a few homes and a church. Carrington presently has a population of approximately 30 people. However, it is encouraging to see new farm homes with electricity and water being built along with good roads. The village and community are beginning to prosper again.
It is interesting to note that there is a continuous line of descent in the village from the earliest founder, William Carrington, to the present; Roy Lynn Carrington, affectionately called the Mayor of Carrington, lives on his ancestral homeplace.
Cedar City
Cedar City, a small town in southern Callaway County on the banks of the Missouri River, was laid out in 1866 by David Kenney, owner of the Cedar City Land Company, who petitioned the state for articles of incorporation in 1870. Kenney named the town Cedar City because of the many cedar trees dotting the bluffs overlooking the town.
The original land patent included a total of 138 acres costing $12.68 each. The Township 44N, Range 11W, Section 16 cost a total of $1760.28, paid by William B. Scott. The patent certificate bore the additional note: “The Cedar City Land Company Assignee of William B. Scott.” It is within the confines of this tract of land that the community of Cedar City was platted and constructed.
Early records indicate the first post office for the town was established on March 12, 1825, when the town was called “Hibernia.” Official records show the post office changed the name of the town to Cedar City on Feb. 12, 1872. Early settlers arrived in Cedar City with their families, personal belongings and farm equipment by steamboat. At that time, the Missouri River was located about a 1/2 mile north of its present location.
In 1872, the Chicago and Alton Railroad built a line that ran south of Mexico, Missouri, terminating at Cedar City. Here, the engine was run onto a turntable, and the children and adults grabbed the handles and pushed to turn the engine around. The train remained over night, so the train crew and passengers often stayed at one of the hotels. Generous meals were served in the large dining rooms. The next day, the train was backed down to the South Cedar station to pick up passengers, mail and freight before heading north again.
At the North Jefferson station, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad stopped to unload passengers going to Jefferson City. They boarded a horse-drawn trolley, which took them to the ferry that crossed the river. Soon after the first bridge, which was a toll bridge, spanned the river in the early 1890s, an electric trolley met the trains at the North Jefferson and South Cedar stations. The trolleys crossed the bridge and continued on through Jefferson City’s business district.
The MKT ran a spur to South Cedar City to a large freight depot. Livestock and grain were loaded at this station and also at the Chicago and Alton Railroad station at Cedar City. Barnum and Bailey brought their circus cars on the railroad line and unloaded at the South Cedar depot. The animals were taken from the railroad cars and paraded, either on foot or in cages and circus wagons, across the Missouri River to Jefferson City. A calliope could be heard as the circus made its way across the bridge.
By the early 1900s, there were two churches, a barbershop, a drug store, a saddle tree shop, two blacksmith shops, a daily newspaper, a furniture store, an undertaker parlor, three general stores and a doctor in the city. At South Cedar, there was a general store and the Dulle Elevator, where grain was stored to be used for making flour at the Dulle Milling Company in Jefferson City’s Millbottom.
There were open-air dances and barbecues and entertainment provided by the Cedar City Band Association. During the 1920s, there was a baseball team to be proud of, challenging all teams in the area and usually winning.
In the early years of the town, the only law was Bob Darton. He spent many years patrolling the city on foot. As a respected citizen, he often was called upon to settle disputes, and although he wasn’t a judge, he was thought to be fair and reasonable, and his decisions were respected.
Lucia Dwight, a member of one of the city’s churches, went as a missionary to Cairo, Egypt. With the exception of one visit back to the States and Cedar City, she spent the rest of her life there.
Remember when taxi fare to Jefferson City was 20 cents? Some of our residents do.
In 1928 or 1929, a civilian pilot training school was located just north of Cedar City. It consisted of a machine shop and a hangar. In the late 1930s, Robertson Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis took over the school. During the 1940s, a barracks was added, and at least 60 students from Jefferson City Junior College and 30 from Lincoln University were trained and went on to the Army Air Corps. One local young man trained here, took a government job as an airway controller and made that his career. One of the instructors lived in the barracks. In the late 1940s, the airport was moved to its present location, just east of the city. Now longer-landing strips are possible and larger planes can land. This became the Jefferson City Memorial Airport in the late 1940s.
When the town was established, it had a four-room schoolhouse, and near the turntable was a school for black children. In the mid-1950s, a bond issue was voted to construct a new modern four-room school. At the end of 1956, the approximately 100 students moved into the new school. In 1980, the school was merged with the Jefferson City system. The school building is now used to house food supplies for the Jefferson City system. Students from Cedar City are bussed either to Holts Summit or Jefferson City. School buses are based on what was once the playground.
Somewhere along the way, the city was allowed to fall into a state of inactive incorporation. In 1958, the city’s incorporation was renewed, and it is presently in good standing as a fourth-class town.
In 1971, the officials of Jefferson City petitioned the residents of the city to see if they were interested in being annexed to the City of Jefferson. With only 14 residents in favor of the proposition to annex, this issue was abandoned. Jefferson City did annex areas around Cedar City at that time, consequently making growth for Cedar City impossible.
After the 1973 flood, the United States made available flood insurance to help defray the cost of such future disasters. The city was designated as a flood plain area, and all new buildings must be built to the 100-year flood level in order to keep the city in good standing with the federal government and eligible for the flood insurance. In 1963, a bond was issued for the installation of a water system. In 1969, a volunteer fire department was initiated, with 14 men of the town volunteering their services. A new truck was purchased with funds from a second bond issue. In 1980, a third bond issue brought a sewage system to the city.
An active Lions Club holds its annual festival, where it serves barbecue and has a carnival.
The Jefferson City Rugby Club used the Louis C. Corley Park for its games, playing rugby teams from as far away as Wales.
The city has recently constructed a second well to better serve the community. Several years ago, the city initiated a local sales tax, which helped to boost revenue and allow for more extensive improvements. The city has a mayor, four aldermen, three police officers, a full-time maintenance employee and a volunteer fire department. The police officers and firefighters are reached through a very efficient paging system, which is manned by three dispatchers on a 24-hour basis.
There have been many people responsible for the progress of the town. It would be impossible to mention all of them.
Cedar City, in the shadow of the state capital, keeps it small town status, changing with the times but remaining an independent community.
This history was compiled by Mrs. Emma Marie Beavers Gilbert, Mrs. Clarence (June) Sundermeyer, and Miss Orna Mickelis. Mrs. Gilbert supplied the large part of the information.
Concord
By Mrs. Bruce Edwards
The village of Concord was first settled around 1818, the first resident being a Mr. Watson. It was laid as a village by John Henderson on May 18, 1837. The plots were 60 by 100 feet.
Before the Chicago and Alton Railroad was built, Concord was an important trading point.
The Concord Church was organized June 25, 1833. It was the third Presbyterian church in Callaway County, Old Auxvasse and White Cloud being first and second. The church currently has services on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Dr. William Young, chaplain at Westminster College, is the minister.
The list of businesses and owners when Concord was at its peak were S. C. Harrison, who was a carpenter; Henderson and McPheeters, who ran the grist mill and saw mill; G. M. Hull, who was a carpenter and undertaker; A. D. Moore, who was a harness maker; T. J. Pledge, who was justice of the peace; Pledge and Moore, who were blacksmiths; J. B. Plunkett, owner of the general store and postmaster; S. R. Satterfield, who was constable; and Reverend W. W. Trimble, who was minister. Other businesses there at the time were two other general stores, a coffin factory, a drug store, the Concord Chronicle and the Mason Lodge. There were at least 15 homes. None of the aforementioned buildings are now there except the church and some homes.
The school was one room and taught all eight grades. It was consolidated with Walnut Grove and Flynt in 1953. The building was sold and added on to, and it is now a dwelling. Some of the last teachers at Concord were Mary Alice Satterfield, Edith (Satterfield) Stephens and Ber-niece Cathcart.
At the beginning of the Civil War, Dr. W. W. Robertson opened and conducted a seminary for boys and girls at Concord. It ran for several years and was then moved to Fulton as Synodical College.
A Civil War battle was fought where the Concord Cemetery now stands. All that remains in the village are the church and ten homes. The author is indebted to Mrs. Edith Stephens, who was reared in Concord, for much of this material.
Cote Sans Dessein
LETTER FROM T. J. FERGUSON.
To the Old Settler's Meeting:—
November 10, 1883
The undersigned not being in a situation to attend your meeting on the 10th inst., submits a few items that may be of some little interest to the people now living.
The old village of Cote Sans Dessein (pronounced by the old French Cote Sans Dusaw) was settled by the French about the year 1812. I first saw It in September 1817. I remember that there were then bearing apple and peach trees in several gar dens. The village at that time contained 300 or 400 inhabitants. There were two small dry goods stores, one grocery or dram shop, one tavern and one blacksmith shop. This point was selected by Baptiste Roy and his brothers as a very suitable place for trapping and hunting. The Osage river valley was only three miles above and was at that time an excellent place for beaver, deer and bear. In the year 1808 Baptiste Roy purchased of Pierre Chouteau G10 arpents of land, on which he settled & number of persons, the most of whom were hunters and trappers and in his employ, The names of the principal persons there in 1817 were Baptiste, Joe, Louis and Fran cis Roy, four brothers; James Teabo, Revards, Vinciens, Donoya (called Pecars), Graziers, (called Captain) four; Feye, Laplant, (or Labran), Urnoe, Tyro (or Tyo), Peachu, Shalifaux, Rails and others. The only Americans there then were Daniel Bob and Harvey Colgan, Major Evans, grandfather of the late William, Jesse and John King, Mr. Harvey Hubbard, also grandfather of the late John, Jesse E. and Joseph Farmer, William Dunnica, Asa Williams, the father of Henry, Asa L., W. G.Williams, now living; also Mrs. E. Foy and Sallie Jennings, Jonathan Hollaway, grandfather of J.L. and N. B. Ferguson; also Mrs. C. W. Samuels and Sallie Miller, in the fall of 1817; Joshua, John S. and William Ferguson, Dennis Askrew, Thumas Duley, William B. Scott, father of Mrs. Colonel John Boyd, and also of Mrs. William M. Ramsey, now living; General Jonathan Ramsey, a member in the first convention that formed the first constitution of Missouri; Josiah Ramsey, the great hunter; Lampkins, Rounsaville, Joe and James Gordon, William Lenox and three sons and probably others. My father, John S. Ferguson, being a millwright by trade, built the first horse mill in the county, early in the spring of 1818, which did the grinding for a distance of twenty miles up and down the river, the materials for which he brought with him from Ken tucky on a small batteau (or keel boat). The most of our meat we had the first year was obtained from the woods. Beer, turkeys (and occasionally a bear) were plenty and good. Cattle and horses wintered on rushes and wild pea vines. The first school taught in our neighborhood was in the winter of 1818-19, by Joseph James, four miles above Cote Sans Dessein. In the fall of 1818 John Scrips, a Methodist preacher, made his first visit to the county and preached the first night at William Nash's, and the next night at my fathers, John S. Ferguson, and continued to preach at my fathers house one year. For more than twenty years afterwards my fathers house was the preaching place for the neighborhood. My mother, Mary Ferguson, Hannah Ramsey, Josiah Ramsey, and old Tom Nash (colored) constituted the first Methodist class formed in this neighborhood, probably in the county. Old Josiah Ramsey was appointed class leader, and, being a pious old man, held a prayer meeting every Sabbath at some place in the neighborhood. The Methodist preacher of that day had to encounter many hardships, and often suffered with cold and hunger in travelling through the wilderness from one appointment to another, some twenty miles or more apart. They were compelled to be dependent on the few members of the church for clothing, etc.; but they were more than welcome by the hardy pioneer, and were furnished with everything necessary for their comfort as far as could be. While John Scrips was on this circuit, which embraced a part of Boone county, he became in want of a hat. A Mr. Hatton, of Boone county, a hatter by trade, told him if he would bring him some coonskins he would make him a hat, which he (Scrips) at once promised to do. In his rounds on the circuit he would make known to the people of each preaching place the offer of Mr. Hatton. The colored people were only too glad to give him one, two or three coonskins at each place, which he rolled up and tied to the hind part of his saddle, and on to his next appointment. So that by the time he got back to Hatton he had skins enough to make his hat. On his next round to Hatton’s his hat was ready for him (a low crown, broad brim hat). I suppose a Methodist or any other preacher that would carry a bundle of coonskins on his horse behind him at this day would be laughed at, even by the colored people. There are but few persons now living that I knew in 1818. I give their names as follows: Nancy Nash, now Holman, aged seventy-six; Nancy Askroens, now Mrs. Gordon, aged about seventy; Josiah R. Lampkin, Cole county, nearly seventy-four; Mary Scott, now Mrs. Boyd, suppose seventy-two; Elizabeth Dunnica, formerly Ferguson, seventy-six; old Jim Rurnsey (colored), eighty-two; Thomas J. Ferguson, nearly seventy-four. These are the only names of persons now living that I can remember that were here in this vicinity at that time.
Very respectfully,
T. J. Ferguson.
Attack on Cote Sans Dessein
Cote Sans Dessein, “a hill without design”, is the site of an ancient French village. This place has its name from an isolate hill that is standing, as if by accident, on the riverbank.
The village of Cote Sans Dessein was settled in 1808 and was once a populous place. The inhabitants generally moved across Missouri and settled there.
This ancient village had its share in the Native American wars incident and the settlement of the country. The principal actor in this achievement was a Frenchman, whose name was Baptiste Louis Roi. He chanced to be in the blockhouse with only two men and two women when the attack commenced. With the small command, he made a successful defense against a numerous and very determined band of Native Americans. One of the men, noting the small defensive force, was panic-stricken. He devoted himself to prayer throughout the siege. The women busied themselves to cast bullets and cut patches so as to keep up the defense in a steady manner. There were 14 Native Americans killed and many wounded.
The Native Americans made a determined effort to destroy the blockhouse. They fired arrows with combustive tips that were ignited. The defenders had a limited supply of water on hand, which was soon exhausted. Another flaming arrow was launched, but someone grabbed a container of milk and extinguished the flames. Still another flaming arrow was fired. It so happened that one of the women had just used the urinal, the contents of which were used to extinguish the flames. A mighty cheer arose, but the Native Americans were determined. Thrice did the women supply from the same fountain a fluid that extinguished the flames. At last the baffled Native Americans ran off, screaming a bitter howl of mingled resentment and despair (Callaway Co., 167-168).
Cote sans Dessein
(Fulton Telegraph, Friday, Nov. 23, 1860)
Where is there one who has ever visited this beautiful and picturesque place that has not left it with regret? It has of late years been but a relic of former grandeur. Still in its desolation, it possesses unrivaled charms. It was first settled by a company of French emigrants, attracted no doubt by its romantic situation and its easy access to the neighboring cities and towns. It stands on an eminent tract of land on the north bank of the mighty Missouri, and commands a fine view of the surrounding forest, lofty hills, and the many steamers with which the river is thronged.
The French who so appropriately named it "A hill without design," have deserted it, almost entirely nothing remains of them save the inanimate forms of those who are quietly resting in the "silent city of the dead" ----- there in a small enclosure, in the outskirts of the city, they are waiting the call of their Maker, which will raise them to life eternal or endless misery.
Cote sans Dessein is now inhabited by a few energetic and ambitious families, who are struggling hard to make it not only what it once was, but what it should be ---- a thriving commercial city. The improvements which have been made during the past few months are truly encouraging: a fine academy has been opened for the education of both sexes. "Cote Hill Institute" is a large fine building, affording ample accommodations for the pupils; it is now in a flourishing condition under the supervision of a Connecticut tutoress, and bids fair to be one of the first institutions of learning in the West. A new street has recently been opened, leading from River street to Main street, which adds much to the convenience of the merchants. A steam saw and grist mill is in constant operation under the superintendent, Mr. Thomas Ferguson. The principal mercantile depot (Mr. S. C. Bennet) stands on the corner of Cote and Main streets, and is as usual doing an extensive business, the constant run of custom keeps four energetic men busily employed. We need not say more, yet we feel that the day is not far distant when our now comparatively small city will be rightly termed the New York of the West.
Dixie Store
By Alleyne Cave and Margaret Jones
Dixie was founded in 1897. It consisted of the store building and the home of Mr. Walter Sappington, owner of the store. The merchandise had been in a store at Caldwell, about 3 1/2 miles northwest. There was also a pottery store at Caldwell. In the spring of 1902, Mr. Walter Sappington sold the store and his residence to John C. Cave and Shannon Cave. In 1904, Mr. Sappington bought the store and residence from the Caves and continued to run it until 1910, when it was sold to Mr. John Woody and son Marvin. They ran it until about 1923 or 1924. Quincy Schreen was the next owner, and he sold it to his brother Fred. After a few years, it was sold to Quincy Schreen and his uncle, Clinton Sparks, in 1927.
A truck business was founded by Sparks and Quincy Schreen in 1927 when the interest in the store was obtained. The truck line, used principally to transport livestock to St. Louis, began with one vehicle, a Ford Model T truck. In 1927, the first run began at 6 p.m. one day and ended late the next morning in St. Louis, with nine sows shipped. As was the case with most Model T owners, Sparks once suffered a broken arm while trying to crack the vehicle. The truck line in later years consisted of a pickup truck and two straight trucks, used for hauling livestock to St. Louis and delivering feed and farm supplies to area farmers.
The interest of Quincy Schreen was purchased by Sparks in 1932, and S.C. Sparks and his wife Rosie operated both businesses alone until their retirement in 1957. S.C. recalled that one of the biggest changes that had taken place in the country store operation was the addition of bottled milk to the stock. "People would have thought we were crazy to have handled bottled milk thirty years ago,” he said.
The store at one time also handled a large volume of dry goods business, but that went out as the innovations came in. The store has never handled fresh meat but has carried a stock of canned goods and staples. Its main business was selling livestock feed and supplying gasoline to area residents.
At this time, S. C. was well-known throughout the county as a soil conservation advocate. He was the first man in the Dixie Community to build terraces on his farm; he built 12 miles of terraces with a tractor and an old motor grader. The farm was chiefly in pasture, with cattle and sheep the main projects. He worked closely with the U.S. Soil Conservation Service and served many years on the township ASC committee. He also had served about 26 years on the Victor school board and was president of the board for more than 18 years. Before his death on Jan. 14, 1977, he was very active as a church worker; he had been on the board of the Dixie Christian Church for about 35 years and had been an elder for the last 15 years of his life.
After S. C.'s retirement in 1957, his son-in-law Dorris Jones took over the store and trucking business. The store remained open until 1962 at which time it was closed. The trucking business was not sold until September 1967.
Eastville
By Blanche Wilkinson Dudley
The state of Missouri decided to build a direct concrete highway between St. Louis and Kansas City in the early 1920s, so property owners were asked to donate 60 feet of land. Most of them were willing to do so to have good roads. Some of the property owners near Eastville who donated land were Robert and Lila Crowson, James H. and Ula Harris, William B. and Jailey Y. Harris, John E. and Mary Wilkinson, J. L. and Kate C. Wise, and J. T. and Bessie Wise. These deeds were executed in late July and August and recorded March 1, 1926.
William J. East decided to buy land here and build a restaurant, garage and about 12 cabins for tourists. On Jan. 22, 1926, he bought four acres of land (in Township 48, Range 10, Section 10) from James H. and Ula Harris and William B. and Jailey Y. Harris.
W. J. East started building a restaurant, garage and cabins. Mr. East and his wife, Irene Dimitri; his daughter; her husband Alexander Dimitri; and Margaret and Frances East, daughters of Clarence East by his first wife, moved into the living quarters above the restaurant and operated it. Clarence and Ethel East and their son, James, moved into the living quarters above the garage and ran the garage. Charles East was born there. It is easy to see why the area came to be called Eastville.
Johnnie Velte, a neighbor, helped to build the restaurant, garage and cabins. He later married Frances East, and they lived on a farm north of Eastville. Water was brought to Eastville from John Wilkinson's deep well, which Clarence East looked after. A few years later, Mr. East had men from Columbia dig a deep well, which supplied Eastville with water.
In 1928, the Missouri Power and Light Company from Mexico, Missouri, began extending an electric line to Lindbergh for Jake Reed's coal mines. Mr. East asked Robert Crowson, James H. Harris, John Wilkinson and the Wise brothers to join him in applying for service. Eastville had electricity by the end of 1928.
W. J. East sold his property to D. C. and Bessie F. Lightner on Aug. 24, 1938. Mr. and Mrs. Lightner and their daughter, Mrs. Stone, moved there and ran Eastville. Mr. and Mrs. Lightner did carpentry work, too. The Lightners sold their land to Cecil and Martha Trimble on April 28, 1950. Mr. and Mrs. Trimble and their daughter Carol Jean moved to Eastville. Norman and Susan Trimble were born there.
Cecil and Martha Trimble sold Eastville to Linus R. and Dorothy M. Kroll, on Aug. 5, 1971. They and their small children moved here, and another child was born while they were at Eastville. While there, they tore down the old restaurant and built a new house. Mr. Kroll worked as a computer operator in Columbia. Linus and Dorothy sold the property to Howard Gravatt, Incorporated in 1975. Howard Gravatt and his wife are living there now, and he runs an equipment shop, sells tires and more.
Mrs. Trimble passed away in November 1928, and Mr. Trimble lives in Kingdom City.
Hereford Community
By Susan Burns and Elizabeth Craghead
The Hereford community began to develop in about 1890. Prior to that time, few families lived in the area, and there was only a small one-room general store, which served as a meeting place for the residents. Those living in the area by 1890 included Henderson Moore, Emmett Moore, L. W. Bratton, Jeff Hume, Mike Murray, William McCray, Weldon Tarr and Lon Dunn. Other families were the McKamys, Bakers, Lindens, LaFons and Bookers. Three of the original homes in the area are still in existence: the McCray home (owned and occupied by John Burns), the Emmett Moore home (owned and occupied by Chuck Hughes) and the Tarr home (owned and occupied by Emmett McCowan).
Farming was and remains the main occupation of the community; however, in the early 1900s, many farmers also raised mules. Each year, the members of the community would join together to drive their mules to the railroad either at McCredie or Centralia. The community enjoyed a phone system based out of Stephens with one line serving 12 to 15 families.
The community center was composed of four buildings: the Hereford General Store, Rising Sun Baptist Church, the Hereford Blacksmith Shop and the Hereford School. These were located on what is now State Road DD 3 miles north of Interstate 70 in the Cleveland township. The store operated in a one-room building prior to 1890 and was owned and operated by Mike Murray. In 1914, this building was moved and a two-story structure built by Mike Murray and Emmett Moore. This new store was first leased to Carl Smith, who operated the store and housed his family on the second floor. In later years, the store was operated by Howard Murray, Cleve Fisher and many others. The ownership passed from Mike Murray to Floyd David and then to L. L. "Bud" Davis, who owned and operated the store until it closed in 1949. The structure was torn down in 1976.
The Rising Sun Baptist Church was the second community facility in Hereford. It was organized and built in 1892 on land donated by Mike Murray. Some of the charter deacons of the church were L. W. Bratton, John Threlkeld, John Renfro and William Rodman. For many years, services were held one weekend per month with one service held on Saturday evening and two services on Sunday. The church is still in operation and has a membership of over 100 active members. Early pastors of the church include J. S. Denton, S. S. Keith and the Rev. Burnam. More recently, Weldon Foreman, John Hunter, Norman Miller and Melvin Underwood have served as pastors. The original building has had two additions added, but the church is still furnished with the original pews and pulpit.
The Hereford community opened a smithy directly east of the general store. The land was given by William McCray, and the shop was built and operated by Bud Davis and Nat Fish. The shop opened in 1910 and was in operation until about 1940. The structure has been torn down and the land deeded back to the McCray land, which is owned by Elizabeth Craghead, daughter of the original owner, William McCray.
The Hereford School opened in 1922 on land donated by Mike Murray. A barn was erected to the west of the church to house the horses ridden by the students. The school buildings from Moore School and Prairie View School were moved to Hereford and placed south of the church. The west room was used for an elementary room and the east room for the high school. In 1923, an additional room was built to the east and used for extra space. Gladys McCall began in 1922 as the high school teacher and remained for many years in the Hereford area as teacher. Lorene Waters began as an elementary teacher. The teachers boarded in the community during the school year and occasionally rented the upper portion of the general store for living space. The high school disbanded in approximately 1941, but the grade school continued until the mid-1950s. The building is still in existence and owned and occupied by Mrs. Ida Hunter.
Lindbergh
By Jalie Boulware
Lindbergh came into existence in the late 1920s with the building of U.S. Highway 40. An oil company purchased land where the road from Stephens to Millersburg intersected the new highway and built a rather large service station for that time. Among those who operated that station were Henry and Lottie Foutz and Robert Blacklock. The station housed an oil room, a combination store and café, a kitchen and living quarters for the operator. For a time, Everett Ballenger served as a barber out of the same building. This station was on the north side of the highway and was just over a mile east of Cedar Creek, which is the Boone/Callaway County line. The station and the surrounding area came to be called Lindbergh in honor of Charles A. Lindbergh.
On the same side of the highway and about a block east, another store and service station was built. Some of the people who operated that station were Bob and Zella Via Berry, Ray Cooper and Liberty and Wilmoth Gibbs. On the south side of the highway, a garage was built and operated by Herbert Fisher. A second garage, operated by Ray Gingrich, was built to the west of the Fisher garage. Later, Fisher’s garage was operated as a service station by the Foutzes, assisted by Julien Dodson. Still later, this same building was developed into a residence. When it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Harry Williams, it was remodeled as a nursing home and was operated by Mrs. Lutie Atkins.
In the late 1930s, Marriott and Reed Coal Company purchased mining rights to the west and north of Lindbergh and started the first open pit mining of coal in the county. They built a tipple, or coal processing plant, between the two stations on the north side of the highway.
Mrs. Jeff Hall, who at that time was living on her home place, the Wilse Davis farm, just north of Lindbergh, recalls baking pies for a short time for Mr. Blacklock to serve to the men who worked for the coal company at his station and restaurant. In the early 1940s, she would go to Lindbergh to buy her groceries on Saturday night, and she can remember paying 75 cents for 20 pounds of high patent flour and 13 cents for a pound of coffee.
The space occupied by the coal processing plant and offices had been used for a short while in prior years to hold Saturday night dances on an outdoor wooden platform. That business was operated by Henry Puyear. Mr. and Mrs. Vee Latty played for those dances. When the coal deposits had been depleted, mining ceased and Lindbergh began its decline. It was further affected by the building of Interstate 70 and by the advent of cheaper and more rapid transportation. It is now composed of a few residences and a small store operated by Mary Ann Theilbar. Old Highway 40, which had heralded Lindbergh's beginning, is now the north service road for the interstate highway. However, in the surrounding area, a small manufacturing plant and warehouse, a convenience store for travelers, a service station, a plant nursery, a furniture store and a plant sales business have been built, perhaps due to ready access to good roads.
Little Kansas City
By H. Dale LaRue
The small community just northeast of the radio station that broadcasts KFAL-KKCA, known to some as Little Kansas City, was originally named after a slave.
My great grandfather Ruben Simcoe owned the property that is presently in northeast Fulton. He owned slaves at this time, and when President Lincoln freed them, Simcoe gave each one a small tract of land in appreciation of their fine service. One of these slaves was a woman named Candice. I do not have a record of her last name. She was my grandmother LaRue's nursemaid while Mrs. LaRue was growing up. A small tract of land northeast of the radio station, now Little Kansas City, was given to Candice by my great grandfather, and a small house was built for her.
Other dwellings sprang up around this small home, and at that time, the community was known as Candice City. But, as time advanced Can-dice further into history, generations have come to know this area not as Candice City but instead as Little Kansas City.
Pitcher Store
By Margaret Elliott
Pitcher Store lies south of Fulton on Route NN. The first owners were the Barriers who cleared the land and built a two-room log house. The property was then purchased by Sam Woods. During his ownership, it served as a post office from July 27, 1897, until March 31, 1904. After the post office closed, people in the area picked up their mail at the post office in Fulton. Later they were served by a rural route.
In 1905, J. L. Craghead bought the store. Their daughter was married to Mr. Virgil Gathright 59 years ago in the parlor. A big charivari was planned. While it was in progress, a shotgun was discharged, and a shot went through the eaves of the building. Mrs. Gathright can remember her mother hanging butter and milk in the old well that is behind the store. Anyone who came to the store in search of a cold drink had to find their way to the well to fetch it out of the cool depths. Mrs. Gathright also remembers the wholesale dealer, or drummer as he was called in those days, coming to sell his wares. Fur trappers were also frequent visitors, coming to barter their furs for whatever they needed.
In June 1973, the Richard L. Elliott family purchased the land where the old Pitcher Store stood. They had planned to bulldoze the old building, but when they discovered that it was filled with Callaway history, they decided to restore it to its original 1800s character. Richard and Margaret enlisted the aid of their five children: Richard Wayne, Deborah, Ronnie, Tamara and Jennifer. When they removed the old sheet rock, they discovered hand-hewn logs dating back to 1897. Other discoveries included old newspapers dating back to Jan. 25, 1898, and a large collection of store receipts. Among those is a receipt to Sam Woods on May 23, 1904, for the purchase of 55 gallons of vinegar at 15 cents per gallon and one showing that Mr. J.L. Craghead on Jan. 27, 1928, paid 6 cents per pound for geese and 18 cents per dozen for eggs.
Mr. Craghead also had a fur dealer shipper's permit from the state of Missouri dated Jan. 27, 1928; a 1930 county tax receipt from J.W. Smart, county collector; and a merchant tax receipt showing he had paid $3.66 on goods valued at $300.
All of this memorabilia and more have been arranged by the Elliott’s in a large scrapbook to share with others who are interested in the history of the area. By October 1976, the Elliott’s had completed the restoration, and the old Pitcher Store was one of the stops on the American Association of University Women house tour.
Readsville
By Monroe McCall
Readsville was settled in 1856 by John A. Read, who became the first postmaster. One of the early stores was the Brooks and Garrett Store. In 1879, Monroe "Bud" McCall opened a woodworking and blacksmith shop, later opening a general store, which he operated until 1928. His brother-in-law, Dr. A. D. Offut, practiced medicine and owned the drug store until his death in 1903. Following him was Dr. L. W. Oberkrom, who served the community's medical needs until about 1960. He is now deceased.
In 1917, Riley A. Davis opened a general store and with his brother Clyde N. Davis operated their business until 1978 when they sold to Carl and Edith Dixon of St. Charles. The Dixons moved to Readsville and continued the traditional country store under the name of the Readsville Trading Post. Riley Davis operated the post office inside the store until about 1959 when the Readsville Post Office was closed.
Other businesses at Readsville at various times have been smithys run by Kasper Danuser, Frank Kelsick and Alfred Boone and garages run by Sigfred Lensing, Clifford Davis and Leo Hammett.
The 76-year-old frame of Bethel United Methodist Church was destroyed by fire in 1943 and was replaced by the brick structure that was dedicated on June 3, 1945. The church maintained a parsonage at Readsville until 1931. The present pastor of Bethel United Methodist Church is the Rev. Barbara Johnson.
Services were held at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Readsville several years before being discontinued in the late 1950s. The building has since been destroyed by fire. The one-room rural school at Readsville closed May of 1959 when it became a part of the South Callaway R-II School District.
The size of the residential area has remained approximately the same, but other changes have come. The dirt road over which many products were transported to and from the MKT Railroad at Portland in the early days is now state Route D, a connecting link between Interstate 70 and Highway 94. Modern living is made available by the Callaway Electric Cooperative, the Kingdom Telephone Company and the Public Water Supply District No. 2.
Toledo
By Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lee Harris, Jr.
At one time, Toledo had two general stores, a smithy, a warehouse and a tobacco barn. One of the general stores and the smithy were sold in 1922 by C. H. Ross. The other store operated until a couple of years later. Art Gallaher was the last to operate a store here.
The earliest mention we have of Toledo is a newspaper article stating, "Mrs. R. S. Simcoe was born near Toledo October 8, 1859." Also, there was an announcement of the marriage of Miss lantha Harris to Mr. Richard Franklin on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 1892. Toledo isn't mentioned in the Atlas of 1876.
The Unity Baptist Church was mentioned in the Atlas and was located on Craghead's Branch, a 1/2 mile west of the present location at the junctions of JJ and UU. The former location is presently owned by Mrs. John (Beulah Lawrence) Hamilton, a resident of Toledo. The current church was built in 1879 and is still active. Jesse James was a song leader at one time.
The post office operated out of a general store and was opened May 20, 1887, and was closed Feb. 15, 1905. It was located in Section 16, Township 47, Range 8 at the intersection of Grand Prairie-Portland and Boone Hays Roads.
The Toledo School was built in 1880 by Gregory Frei-berger. There are no traceable records of the school before 1882. The teacher for the years of 1917-18 and 1918-19 was Miss Florence Day. She currently lives in St. Charles. Two of her students are still living in the Toledo area. They are Mrs. Beulah Lawrence Hamilton and Jack Day. Another student, Brent Lawrence, lives close by. Mrs. William (Beatrice Lawrence) Hawkins, Glenn Lawrence, Mrs. Carl (Evelyn Hamilton) Brooks, Lawrence Alien Hamilton, Robert Lee Harris, Jr. and Mrs. Les (Ruth Ann Hawkins) Fischer were all later students at the school that still live in the area.
Glenn Lawrence of Toledo now lives on and owns the farm that has been in the Lawrence family since 1835.
John Harris, pioneer from Tennessee, moved to the area in 1829. His descendants have lived in the area continuously since that time.
The Village of Wainwright
By Lois Link
The Village of Wainwright has experienced a series of changes: lots were sold, houses were built and occupied, one general merchandise store was constructed, a smithy and barbershop were set up, and a Modern Woodman Lodge came into being. The general store was purchased from Mr. Sappinton, and John Cave and son, Shannon Cave (H.S.), operated it from 1903 to 1914. Carl Cave, son of H.S. Cave, remembers living in the apartment above the store and attending the Wainwright School, which was also organized about this time. A Methodist church (Mt. Pleasant) that had been located about 2 miles east of the village on a high bluff was dismantled and hauled to the town and rebuilt in 1898. Much of this progress was noted because of the building of the MKT Railroad in 1892. This construction of the railroad brought two doctors: W.H. Williamson and Dr. Goase. Another general store that had been in the thriving river town of Old Barkersville was moved to the village and operated by Marion Stokes. Later, C.A. and Fannie Foster operated the store from approximately 1912 to 1922, and when it was closed in 1955, Elmer and Theckla Dickson were the owners. A U.S. Post Office was part of the Cave General Store and later the Foster and Dickson Store. The village is now served by a rural route out of Holts Summit.
Older residents of the village have related the changing of the name from Linkville to Wainwright. It was done during the construction of the MKT Railroad in 1892. The Katy Railroad had been in limbo from 1888 until 1891 when it was taken over by co-receivers George Eddy and H.C. Cross and experienced repairs and better management.
On Feb. 27, 1865, John G. Boyd and wife, Emma 0. Boyd, purchased a tract of land (Township 45, Range 10W, Sections 16 and 17) of 474 acres. At the time of John G. Boyd's death in 1975, the land was passed onto his heirs, Mary (Mollie) Boyd Link being one of them. Mary had married Thomas L. Link, and between 1976 and 1978, Thomas and Mollie purchased the remaining acreage from the other heirs and settled on the tract as farmers. The place where Wainwright is now located was fields of waving grain. Thomas L. Link had visions of a small village, so through his philanthropy, he donated the footage of ground and marked off lots as shown in the 1919 Standard Atlas of Callaway County.
In December 1892, the last extension of the Katy Railroad reached Texas (Smithville) and then went on to Houston. The name was changed to MKT for Missouri, Kansas and Texas. The Missouri-Kansas Eastern that had been in operation from Franklin, Missouri, was extended to St. Louis. The MK&E Railroad had been financed by a group of St. Louis capitalists, some whose names appear in towns along way: McKittrick, Case, Gore, Wainwright and Steedman. So the name Wainwright was adopted, and Linkville no longer existed. “Wainwright” came from wealthy St. Louis capitalist Mr. Ellis Wainwright, who founded a brewery and amassed a fortune.
This tract of land, now a village, has passed through four generations of the family, namely John G. Boyd, Thomas and Mary Link, Clay and Myrtle Link, Edward Link and W.C. Link. The latter two now reside on part of the original tract.
Youngers
By Jalie Boulware
In the far northwest corner of Callaway County lie the memories that are all that remain of Youngers.
The first social gathering place established in that area was Hickory Grove Christian Church. The church lies just to the south and east of the Boone County line and was already serving the people of the area when Robert Marshall Younger opened a store in 1866 just across Cedar Creek and thus in Boone County. (Boone County borders Callaway just across Cedar Creek all along its western border and wraps around the northwest tip for just a short distance.) Mr. Younger also built a grist mill in Callaway County just to the east of the creek. This mill was powered by steam engine and used water from the creek to produce the steam. The grindstone from this mill has been moved by the Younger family and by subsequent owners of their land, and it now is a lawn ornament at a farm home east of Hereford.
In about 1882, Mr. Younger moved his store a 1/2 mile southeast of its original location. This placed it in Callaway County on the main road, which extended north and south by the church and about 3/4 of a mile south. Besides Mr. Younger, for whom the area came to be called, some of the people who served as storekeepers were Mr. and Mrs. Ezekiel Skelly, T. A. Cottle and Tom Cox. There was a post office at the store for a while around 1900. Mail was picked up and delivered each Friday. There was never a rural route out of that post office.
At one time, the community of Youngers also included a smithy operated by a Mr. D. Alien. In addition, a Masonic Lodge met for a time in the second story of the old Hickory Grove Church. The Mutual Telephone Company built a house near the store to house a switchboard and provide telephone service for the community. The switchboard was operated by the family of Florin Nauser. It ceased to operate, and the phones were served by the Auxvasse Telephone Company beginning in about 1909.
Wade School, a one-room elementary school, was located southeast of Younger's store. Among the teachers who taught there were Mr. William Rodman, Miss Sallie Virginia Fish in 1889, Miss Mary Fox, Miss Jennie Lee Atkins and Miss Lena Welch. Miss Mildred Atkinson and Mrs. Charles Scanland also taught there in the last few years before it closed in the 1950s. Both Miss Fish, who married Ashby Younger, and Miss Fox, who married Oliver L. Sebastain, stayed to live in the area, and they have descendants still living in the northwest part of the county.
During the first quarter of the 19th century, justice was meted out by justices of the peace elected in each township. These men were selected for their leadership abilities and their qualities of fairness. They could hear civil cases, sometimes with a jury, and they were also qualified to perform marriages. Mr. Benjamin H. Stephens who lived 2 miles or so south of Youngers filled this office for Cleveland Township for quite a long period.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many such small communities flourished in this county. People could live out long and useful lives, raising their families and making an honest living and never having to travel more than a few miles from their home communities.
Gradually each of the small businesses that had served the community of Youngers ceased to exist and were replaced by other businesses in nearby communities. However, the church is still active and serves as a gathering place for people of the area. Farms there have become larger though most of the older homes and business buildings no longer exist. The citizens of the neighborhood now travel to Centralia, Columbia or Mexico, Missouri to trade.
(The author is indebted to Miss Hazel Younger, Mrs. Theophilus Dunn (née Helen Younger) and Mrs. Les Singleton (née Anna Stephens) for material used in this article.)