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EVENTS & PROGRAMS No scheduled events Christmas Program at Pleasant Green Methodist Church at 2 P.M. * Christmas Program 2:00

EARLY WARS Cooper County men have volunteered for service in many wars; however, only two have taken place on Cooper County soil: The War of 1812 and the Civil War. Both left both sad and bitter memories with relatives of those wounded or killed in battle. Missourians were involved in three brief wars between 1837 and 1847 . These were: The Seminole War in Florida in 1837 , the Mormon War in 1838-39 , and the Mexican War in 1846-48 . Many Cooper Countians volunteered for service in these wars. ​ The War of 1812 in the Boonslick By Michael Dickey Many people associate the War of 1812 with the burning of the white House in 1812 by the British. But a lesser-known related War of 1812 also involved the early settlers in Missouri and various tribes of Indians. On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain. The War of 1812 is one of the least remembered wars of the United States, and Missouri’s involvement is even less known. Though forgotten, the war had significant consequences for the nation’s history. On August 24, 1814 British troops occupied Washington DC burning the White House, the capitol building and several government buildings. Francis Scott Key wrote the National Anthem following the unsuccessful British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor on Sept. 13-14, 1814. The British encouraged the Indians to fight on their side, promising the Indians that they would help them retain their land that was quickly being settled by Americans. The Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815 resulted in a crushing defeat for British forces. In 1959, it gave us the number one hit song on the Billboard Hot 100, “The Battle of New Orleans” by singer Johnny Horton. General Andrew Jackson defeated the Creek Indian Nation in August of 1814 and gained national notoriety for his victory at New Orleans. His war record propelled him to the presidency in 1828 and set the tone of the nation for decades to come. (1812 ) Forts are Built Hannah Cole, Stephen Cole and their families came to the area of Cooper County that is now Boonville in 1810, nearly two years passed before the War of 1812 broke out. Before this time, the life of the settler was fairly quiet. Nature supplied them with nearly all that they wished to eat or drink. When a place of shelter for his family had been provided, the settler could spend his time hunting and fishing. These were pleasant pastimes for him and they also provided some of the necessities for life. This life of ease and rest was suddenly changed by the beginning of the war. Great Britain declared war in 1812 against the United States. The Indians wanted to keep their land, and joined the war on the side of Great Britain. The settlers immediately began to build forts for their protection. A few months after the first Hannah Cole’s fort was built, a band of about four hundred Indians suddenly made their appearance in the neighborhood. When they came, there were two men by the name of Smith and Savage out hunting. As the hunters were returning, the Indians killed Smith and then scalped him. Savage was able to return to the fort. As the Indians were chasing Savage, they came in full view of the fort. Several of them could have been killed. Some of the people in the fort wanted to kill the Indians; however, Hannah Cole wisely told them not to shoot. The following day some of the settlers captured a French boat, which came up the river loaded with powder and balls to trade with the Indians. The settlers immediately took possession of the twenty-five kegs of powder and five hundred pounds of balls which the boat contained. After the settlers had crossed their families and prisoners to the north shore, in the captured boat, the settlers let the Frenchmen return down the river in their empty boat. The settlers did not want the French to arm the Indians and have the Indians use those weapons against them. As the dominant tribe in Missouri, the Osages had grown increasingly restless as more white settlers were moving West onto their lands. The once friendly American Indians had become belligerent and very dangerous as they did not want to lose their traditional hunting ground. The government was concerned about the safety of the settlers and warned them to move closer to St. Louis for protection. However, the settlers replied to Governor Howard that this area of Missouri was now their home and they were prepared to defend it. When the Declaration of War with England reached St. Louis in July, 1812 there were only 178 soldiers of the regular army in all of the area that would later be named Missouri. Soon after the war broke out, Territorial Governor Benjamin Howard wrote to the settlers in the Boonslick area, urging them to move to the eastern part of Howard County for protection. The settlers defiantly defended their choice to stay on the frontier, and replied to the Governor: “We have maid our hoames here & all we hav is here & it wud ruen us to Leave now.We be all good Americans, not a Tory or one of his Pups among us. & we hav 2 hundred Men and Boys that will Fight to the last and we have 100 Wimen and Girls that will tak there places wh. makes a good force. So we can Defend this Settlement wh. With God’s help we will do.So if wehad a fiew barls of Powder and 2 hundred Lead is all we ask.” It has been said that if it had not been for the lead mining in Cooper County, which provided ammunition for the war, we would have lost the War of 1812. Fort Cooper had been built as a potential center of defense for the Howard county area in case of an Indian uprising. Sarshall Cooper was chosen by 112, including many prominent citizens, as their Captain.He was a natural leader and skilled woodsman, and his knowledge and judgement were trusted by all his men.Cooper’s Fort became the center of the Howard County military community. ​ The settlers who had crossed to the north side of the river returned to their homes in the spring of 1813 , but the Indian troubles continued for another two years. A Heroine of Cooper's Fort The most dangerous time of the war were last six months in 1815 . The settlers were crowded into the forts, had little food to eat, and it was too dangerous to go out of the fort to search for food. The Death of Sarshall Cooper . A sad event of the war was the death of Sarshall Cooper after whom Cooper County was named. One evening, he was sitting at his fireside with his family holding his youngest child on his lap. Other children were playing around the room and his wife was sitting by his side sewing. It is thought that a single Indian warrior crawled up to the fort and made a hole just large enough for the muzzle of his gun to go through the clay between the logs. The noise of his work was drowned by the howling storm. The Indian fired his gun and killed Sarshall instantly. He fell to the floor amidst his horror-stricken family. Sarshall Cooper - small picture of the framed fabric from the vest he was wearing when he was shot. Family heirloom of Joyce Cooper Campbell. ​ A treaty of peace between England and the United States was signed on December 24, 1814. The Indians were advised of the peace treaty; however, they continued to carry on independent warfare, without the help of the British, to try to keep their land. It was not until 1833 that every Indian claim to land titles in the state of Missouri were eliminated. THE WAR OF 1812 IS OVER . Once the War of 1812 was over, and the threat of Indian hostilities gone, the population began to increase quickly. Like most settlers, those who came in the 1820’s to 1830’s, chose to settle close to the Missouri River, but soon started to venture into the heartland of Missouri. Many of the native Americans came from Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas, seeking cheap land. The two countries that contributed greatly to the population increase were Germany and Ireland. In the year 1820, only about 12% of Missouri’s population was foreign born. ​ Below are photos of a flintlock rifle located in the Arrow Rock Museum and two of many musket balls found at the site. Bottom left photo is at the Museum at Arrow Rock with Museum Administrator, Mike Dickey along with my friend Gene Smith. Mike Dickey and Jean Smith viewing long rifle used during War of 1812 Wayne Lammers Collection Flint Lock Rifle used during War of 1812 Wayne Lammers Collection War of 1812 Thoughts It is hard for most of us today to imagine what life was like living in a fort during the the War of 1812 to 1815 . We live in a time of ease when we can heat and cool our homes at a touch of a finger and order anything we desire on line and have it delivered. ​ Try to step back in thought to the period of 1810 to 1815 , when the early Missouri settlers were living in forts for protection from large bands of Indians who wanted their ancient hunting grounds back, and were being encouraged to believe that the English would get it back for them IF the Indians helped to defeat (eliminate) the Americans. ​ Early settlers traveled to central Missouri, at that time Howard County, on the North side of the Missouri River, most likely in covered (Conestoga) wagons. When they arrived, Fort Cooper already contained some single men, a few military and frontiersmen and a few families. ​ Imagine that you are part of a family of two adults and five children. You have brought with you only the most basic cooking utensils, quilts and bedding, tools, guns and ammunition, food for the trip and anything else that you can stuff into the wagon. You probably have no money with you, as there is nothing to buy, but you will probably have some barter items. ​ You settle into a small cabin in the fort, usually just one room. You heat the log cabin and cook your food with heat from the fireplace. It is hot in the summer and probably drafty in the winter. ​ Some of the problems you will encounter: There are many different personalities in a small enclosure. Cooperation and harmony must prevail, especially in times of attack. Everyone must perform the duties assigned to them, even when fear and panic set in. When under attack, which could last for a few days or a week or more, all the animals must be kept inside the fort or they would be killed by the Indians. Feeding the animals for a long period of time, cleaning up after them, and removing their waste is not a pleasant or easy task. Human waste was a problem during times of attack. Other sanitation problems must be considered: how to get clean water for drinking for people and animals, clean water for cooking, cleaning people – especially children, and for cleaning wounds when someone is injured or shot. There would not be a doctor at the fort so someone would hopefully have some knowledge of herbal remedies, and have dried herbs set aside for emergencies, sickness and for tea. Bandages were often made from rags, old clothing and/or fluff from cattails or even milkweed. Forts were usually in the center of a cleared area so enemies could be easily seen. Unfortunately, the pioneers could also be easily seen by the Indians. Large forts, sometimes with 200 or more people, require a lot of food. Wild game normally furnished a majority of their food, but being unable to get out and hunt safely, sometimes meant that the animals inside had to be sacrificed to feed the people. Wild animals were not accustomed to the noise of constant gun fire and would leave the area if frightened, reducing food sources. Nuts, dried tree fruit and berries could be gathered, dried and stored during safe times for emergencies. Some grain crops such as corn, wheat and oats were grown, but during peaceful times the deer, birds and other animals would often feast on the almost ripe grain and the Indians could also set fire to it and it would be destroyed. Sometimes, harvesting the grain could be hazardous if an attack might occur. Corn bread and sourdough bread were probably made, but the choice of what to use for flour could be problematic, although certain types of acorns and nuts could be made edible and used for flour. Even sturdy clothing and shoes tend to wear out. Often men’s and some women’s clothing were made from deer skin, as that was the only material available. If native flax or nettles were available near the river bank, they could be soaked and pounded into workable fiber and eventually be made into a type of cloth. But, without a loom or spinning wheel, it would be hard to make the fibers into cloth. Elderly, or widowed women with small children, also had a hard time doing their share of work without a husband. In many cases there was no official at a fort who was licensed to marry people, but marriages were still performed. ​ Life was a challenge, but those early settlers survived and thrived, and we all owe then a great debt of gratitude for their courage. These hardy pioneers truly were the “salt of the earth.” Barbara Dahl, Editor ​ (1830) The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced the indigenous nations to leave Missouri and resettle in Indian Territory. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced the indigenous people who once inhabited land in Missouri to leave and resettle in Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas). The removal process, however, began long before U.S. President Andrew Jackson signed the 1830 removal act. It was a policy introduced by President Thomas Jefferson and was largely carried out by treaties in Missouri supervised by William Clark as superintendent of Indian affairs. About 30 years before the last removal, the Indigenous Nations in the Missouri Territory at the time of the Louisiana Purchase included Sac and Fox, Ioway, Little Osage and Great Osage, Kickapoo, Shawnee, Delaware and Quapaw. ​ Skirmishes and fighting ensued as the U.S. government expanded westward and other nations would be pushed from the East to Missouri. The military imprisoned the famous War Chief Black Hawk in St. Louis at the end of the Black Hawk War in 1832 . The Trail of Tears, as a result of the 1930 act, forced Eastern indigenous nations to relocate to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). One of the routes traversed the southern part of Missouri, where many lives were lost crossing the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau County during the harsh winters of 1838 and 1839 . An estimated 4,000 Cherokees lost their lives on the Trail of Tears from Tennessee to Oklahoma.” (1839) THE MORMON WAR The Mormon war took place in the year 1838 . When the Mormons came to Missouri in 1831 , they located in Jackson County. The citizens there did not like their customs and became angry at the many crimes they committed because of their religious views. They were soon driven from Jackson County, and they moved to Caldwell County, Missouri. The citizens of Caldwell did not want the Mormons to settle in their town, either. They didn’t have sufficient troops to force them to move, so they asked the governor to send in troops to get rid of the Mormons. Governor Boggs called for 7,000 volunteers. In answer to the call, three companies were formed in Cooper County. One was called the Boonville Guards. The second was a volunteer company raised at Boonville. The third was raised in Palestine township. These companies marched twice towards the Mormon settlement and the place of war. While they were marching, the Mormons surrendered. The companies returned home without having ever met the enemy. Upon their arrival at Boonville, these troops were disbanded. The Mormons, after the end of the war, left the state and went to Nauvoo, Illinois, where they stayed for several years. After having difficulty with the authorities of the state of Illinois, the Mormons left and went to the Great Salt Lake. (1846) THE MEXICAN WAR In May, 1846 , a call was made for one company from Cooper County to join troops already in Mexico. Sixty-one men volunteered. The company was organized and assembled in Boonville, where they were trained in military duty by their Captain, John C. Stephens. They departed May 28, 1846 , on the steamer L. F. Linn, for St. Louis, where they were to be armed and equipped. When they arrived in St. Louis, they were ordered to report to Jefferson City. When they got to Jefferson City, they were told to be in readiness and were then allowed to return home. Even though they never saw any battle, the volunteers were welcomed home by large, cheering crowds. The 1865 Missouri Constitution bans the practice of slavery. ​ Missouri was still very much a divided state over the issue of slavery at the end of the Civil War. Many citizens, including Radical Republicans led by Charles Drake, fiercely opposed the institution of slavery and pushed for a new constitution. Among the amendments were the emancipation of slaves and determining voting privileges for loyal citizens to the Union. The ordinance introduced at the constitution convention in St. Louis to abolish slavery in the state passed overwhelmingly with only four delegates voting against it. Missouri’s document that made slavery unlawful came three weeks before the U.S. Congress proposed the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which banned slavery in the country. The loyalty oath, which also was adopted by the 1865 Missouri Constitution would exclude all but pro-Unionists from public life, including the fields of teaching, law and politics, also went into effect until the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Missouri’s loyalty oath two years later. ​ ​ (1836) MISSOURIANS AT THE ALAMO On March 6, 1836 , about 187 men (or more, according to some researchers) perished inside the adobe walls of a crumbling mission-turned-fort known as the Alamo at what is today San Antonio, Texas. ​ Under siege for 13 days, the defenders – who were Anglo settlers, fellow American allies, and ethnic Mexican natives in revolt against the central Mexican government - were finally overwhelmed by a superior Mexican army force and killed to the last man in the early morning hours of March 6. Their bodies were then burned. ​ Among those who died that day were six native Missourians: William Charles M. Baker, George D. Butler, Charles Henry Clark, George Washington Cottle, Jerry C. Day, and George W. Tumlinson. It is those men in particular that we talk about today. When we say they were Missourians we mean they were born in the territory that would become the State of Missouri, since we didn't get statehood until 1821 . Now that that is clarified, from this point on we will simply say Missouri instead of Missouri Territory. Like many of the Alamo defenders, not a whole lot is really known about most of the Missourians' backgrounds. ​ William Charles M. Baker was born in Missouri, though we don't know his age, and he later moved to Mississippi. After the Texas Revolution erupted in October 1835 , Baker came to Texas as a volunteer to help in the revolt. He made his way to what was then San Antonio de Bexar and joined a rebel artillery battery that was involved in besieging the town, which at the time was held by national Mexican troops. After the Mexican force eventually surrendered, Baker became part of what I would characterize as a mounted infantry company that was sent elsewhere. ​ However, he returned to San Antonio on January 19, 1836 as captain of a detachment of 30 men led by the famous adventurer Jim Bowie. Baker entered the Alamo fort and never left it again. George D. Butler was born in Missouri in 1813 , making him 23 years old when he died on that chilly March 6th morning. He was probably a member of the New Orleans Greys ("grey" spelled the English way), two companies of volunteers that were raised and equipped in New Orleans for the cause of Texas independence. If so, he would have been uniformed in a grey jacket and pants with a round forage cap and armed with either a military rifle or musket. Unlike most of the Alamo defenders, the New Orleans Greys looked like soldiers. Most of them arrived in time to take an active part in the siege of Bexar, mentioned above. The Greys were reorganized after the siege and most went on to serve the cause elsewhere, but 23 men stayed to help with the garrison's defense. All 23 perished at the Alamo on March 6. ​ Charles Henry Clark, age unknown, was born in Missouri and was a member of the New Orleans Greys, one of the 23 men of his unit who remained behind at the Alamo. Like many men, he may have been on his way to Texas, by way of New Orleans, anyhow to apply for a land grant from Mexico when he enlisted in the Greys to take part in the uprising that would become a fight for Texas independence. Along the march to San Antonio de Bexar, Clark's company was treated to special dinners held in their honor, including one of roasted bear and champagne. ​ Unfortunately for Clark, he would lose his life at the end of the road. George Washington Cottle was born in 1811 in Missouri, though there is a question if he was actually born in Tennessee and came to Missouri as a child. At any rate, since he is listed as a Missourian in some places, we have included him here. His family located to a colony near Gonzales Texas in 1829 . When the war broke out, he fought in the Battle of Gonzales early on. He was later one of the ill-fated 32 Gonzales men who rode to the aid of the Alamo defenders just five days before the slaughter on March 6. His wife gave birth to twin boys after his death. Jerry C. Day was 18 years old when he died at the Alamo. He was born in Missouri and came to Texas with his family. They settled at Gonzales. When the revolution started, the Days got involved, with Jerry's father, Jeremiah Day, becoming a wagoner for the Texan army and also a signer of the Goliad Declaration of Independence, a precursor to the official Texas Declaration by 73 days. Young Day fought in the siege of Bexar, was discharged from service, and then rejoined and became a member of the garrison at the Alamo where he died with the rest of his comrades. George W. Tumlinson was born in Missouri in 1814 . By the time of the Texas Revolution he was living in Gonzales. He enlisted in the revolutionary forces as an artilleryman and served in the siege of Bexar and then as part of the initial Alamo garrison. He was back in Gonzales, however, when the Alamo was surrounded. He probably felt a personal duty to help his comrades at his former post, and was part of the "Immortal 32" men of Gonzales who rode to the relief of the Alamo defenders, only to join them in their doom. ​ So here's to our six fellow Missourians who died in the cause of Texas independence at a now famous place called the Alamo. Hats off, boys! Although we do not know if any of these men were from Cooper County, They deserve great credit for their bravery. ​ Sources: Texas State Historical Association

WORLD WAR II ​ (1939 ) Hard times worldwide caused the rise of dictators. Adolph Hitler, dictator in Germany, was a threat to Europeans. Benito Mussolini was a threat in Italy. Europeans felt they had to fight for their freedom. World War II began on September 1, 1939 , when German aircraft, tanks, and motorized troops attacked Poland. By early 1942 all major countries of the world were involved in the war. The war opened the Atomic Age, and brought changes in warfare. Trucks would speed the infantry men to the battle front after aerial bombing. Bombers and guided missiles were used. Airplanes, warships, and ground forces worked together with split second timing during attacks. Paratroops dropped from airplanes or landed in gliders. The war was fought in almost every part of the world. The chief battle grounds were in Asia, Europe, North Africa, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea. Italy surrendered on September 3, 1943 , Germany on May 7, 1945 , and Japan on September 2, 1945 . General Douglas MacArthur accepted the unconditional surrender on the deck of the battleship U.S.S. Missouri, and took over in Tokyo. A somewhat uneasy peace returned to a war-weary world. The United States was trying to stay out of the conflict, but there were three problems that affected the United States: the Germans were torpedoing Allied shipping, Germany had promised Mexico some American territory, and the U.S. had loaned Britain and France a lot of money. The United States did not enter the war until December 1941 , after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. At Wake Island the Japanese took many prisoners, including a Boonville man, Charles Huber, who was with a construction force. He remained a prisoner until the war ended. The U.S. wanted to stop German and Japanese aggression against other countries. 2,012 men from Cooper County served in World War II. All those serving from Cooper County are listed on a memorial plaque at the Cooper County courthouse. The 54 men killed in action during this war have a star by their names. Thomas Hart Benton Peril of War series painting Embarkation State Historical Society of Missouri Art Collection (1941) The United Stated Entered World War II after the Japanese bombing of the American fleet in Pearl Harbor. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) ​ “Missourians fought on nearly every front of the war with around 450,000 Missouri residents serving in the military. Soldiers from Missouri were stationed in Hawaii when Pearl Harbor came under attack. Missouri soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Each campaign of the war involved Missourians overseas and those who served at home. Shortly after Pearl Harbor was attacked, Thomas Hart Benton worked on The Year of Peril, a series of powerful war paintings financed by medical supplier Abbott Laboratories for the war department. Among the series, Benton honored the soldiers of WWII with this image of a Black soldier who trained in Kansas City. The image foreshadows the desegregation of the armed forces instituted by President Harry Truman after WWII.” (1945) The formal end of WWII took place onboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. (Courtesy of Missouri Bicentennial Timeline) “WWII raged on from 1939-1945, causing massive devastation in its wake. It would be the deadliest war taking the lives of 60-80 million people, including the 6 million European Jews who were murdered in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. The end of the car came when the U.S. Army Air Force detonated two nuclear bombs over Japan. The dropping of the atomic bombs, along with a Soviet invasion of Japanese-occupied Manchuria in northeastern China put an end to the war. The first unofficial news of surrender came from local radio stations on August 14. Missourians honked car horns, shouted from windows and filled the streets to celebrate the end of the war. In St. Louis, office workers threw paperwork into the air like confetti, while others banged washboards and danced in the streets. The official word came later that day when President Truman confirmed the news. Japanese officers offered unconditional surrender to General Douglas MacArthur and other U.S. and Allied officers on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.” Official surrender of Japan is signed on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Sept. 2, 1945, (P0409) State Historical Society of Missouri. WORLD WAR II WEBPAGES ​ HISTORY CHANNEL BRITANNICA NATIONAL WWII MUSEUM NEW ORLEANS 42 MAPS THAT EXPLAIN WORLD WAR II WORLD WAR II DIGITAL HISTORY WORLD WAR II NATIONAL ARCHIVES RECORDS PRESERVING THEIR STORIES: INTERVIEWS WITH WWII, KOREAN, VIETNAM AND IRAQ WAR VETERANS WORLD WAR II IN EUROPE WORLD WAR II LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

THE PONY EXPRESS ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Depiction of the construction of the first Transcontinental Telegraph , with a Pony Express rider passing below. Source: Wikipedia. ​ March 1861: The Pony Express reduces its route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Sacramento, California When Cooper County mail, that was headed west by stage coach, reached Saint Joe, Missouri, it would be picked up at the Pony Express office by one of the 80 riders, and start on a 2,000-mile wild ride by horseback to the next station. The mail and newspapers would reach San Francisco in 10 days. By stage coach, the same trip would take three weeks! There were 153 Stations, some in hotels and some in shacks. The rider would ride 10 to 15 miles before changing horses and then continue his ride to the next station and a new horse. Five hundred horses were used for each round trip. The ride was not comfortable for the rider or the horse. Bad weather, rough terrain and Indians were constant threats. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Ad in the Sacramento Union, March 19, 1860 “Men Wanted" The undersigned wishes to hire ten or a dozen men, familiar with the management of horses, as hostlers, or riders on the Overland Express Route via Salt Lake City. Wages $50 per month and found.” On June 16, 1860, about ten weeks after the Pony Express began operations, Congress authorized a bill instructing the Secretary of the Treasury to subsidize the building of a transcontinental telegraph line to connect the Missouri River and the Pacific Coast. ​ The passage of the bill resulted in the incorporation of the Overland Telegraph Company of California and the Pacific Telegraph Company of Nebraska. While the lines were under construction the Pony Express operated as usual. Letters and newspapers were carried the entire length of the line from St. Joseph to Sacramento, but telegrams were carried only between the rapidly advancing wire ends. ​ On October 26, 1861, San Francisco was in direct contact with New York City. On that day the Pony Express was officially terminated, but it was not until November that the last letters completed their journey over the route. ​ In June, 1860 Congress authorized the incorporation off the Overland Telegraph Company of California and Pacific Company of Nebraska. The Pony Express lasted only 19 months from April 1860 to October 1861, but it successfully connected the East to the West in record time. Sources: Adapted from National Geographic National Park Service National Historic Trail

EARLY CEMETERIES EARLY CEMETERIES IN COOPER COUNTY Both life and death were serious concerns for the early settlers. Life spans were shorter, and life more perilous than today. Drug stores were nonexistent and doctors were few and far between. Children often died during their first year, and mothers often died in childbirth. It was only natural that churches would want to provide for the passing of their flock by establishing a cemetery near the church. The cemetery was often placed behind the church, but could also be on either side of the church, or across the road, depending on the size and situation of the church property. ​ WHERE ARE THE OLD CEMETERIES? The same fate of old churches has happened to many old cemeteries. When the church and the members were no longer there, the cemeteries become neglected or forgotten. Then, the area where the cemeteries were located was often plowed and planted with crops. Headstones become stepping stones, or were broken up and tossed away. This is a great loss for those who want to preserve history and locate the final resting place of their ancestors. The picture below is the statue of Kate Tracy, a young woman who died in 1854 from cholera at the age of 17. She has a beautiful monument at Walnut Grove cemetery. Someone always puts flowers in her hand which are changed with the seasons. No one knows who does this. This statue was restored to its original beauty by the Hannah Cole Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, in 2019. See the article from the 3/20/2021 “Missouri Life” magazine which tells the story of Kate Tracy and the monument . Early photo of Walnut Grove Cemetery Walnut Grove Cemetery, Oct. 31, 2018 by Wayne Lammers Walnut Grove is the largest cemetery in Boonville and one of, if not the largest, in Cooper County. Some have referred to it as “the biggest city in Cooper County.” It began in the mid 1850’s as a Romantic-style cemetery and expanded in the 1880’s when the cypress trees were planted and the wrought iron fence was installed. Today Walnut Grove is a wildlife and plant sanctuary due to the planning of George Kessler, a famous landscape architect, who laid a master plan for the cemetery. Watch for the horse water troughs and horse rings that are scattered throughout. Walnut Grove has many impressive graves and monuments. A walk through the cemetery will not disappoint you. Walnut Grove was designed to be a prestigious cemetery and that is reflected in the number of wealthy and famous residents who chose it for their final resting place. Some of the famous people buried there include: Civil War Confederate General R. McCullough; Lon Stephens, former Governor of Missouri and his wife; Educator Laura Speed Elliot; Steamboat Captain Joseph Kinney; and many members of the Leonard family who built Ravenswood and are large land holders in Cooper County; and David Barton, the first US Senator from Missouri who also wrote the Missouri State Constitution that allowed Missouri to become a state. DAVID BARTON TOMBSTONE AND LOT RESTORATION WALNUT GROVE CEMETERY, BOONVILLE, MISSOURI By Dr. Maryellen McVicker ​ In 1821 Missouri finally was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state. One of the main men involved in this process was David Barton who chaired the Constitutional Convention and who wrote the Constitution which was submitted to Congress for the admission of Missouri. He then became the first Senator and represented the new state in the U.S. Congress. When he died, he was buried in Boonville, Missouri. The restoration of his tombstone, lot, and adjacent horse watering tough was an appropriate Missouri Bicentennial Project and was undertaken by the Walnut Grove Cemetery Board and the Hannah Cole Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. ​ Barton died penniless on September 28, 1837 . The Gibson family and the citizens of Boonville held a fund-raising drive to place a suitable tombstone over his grave after his burial in what was then called the City Cemetery. Today the name has been changed to Sunset Hills Cemetery. This was accomplished with the erection of an obelisk embellished with all his accomplishments. ​ In 1853 Boonville citizens established Walnut Grove Cemetery, a privately-owned rural park cemetery located on the east edge of town south of Cole’s Fort where David Barton had held court. The area contained a large grove of walnut trees and local promoters had obtained the ground where Cole’s Fort was located and were turning it into the First State Fair in Missouri. Cemeteries were the largest tourist attractions in the United States at the time and the founders of Walnut Grove realized they could capitalize on the cemetery location and attract large crowds if only they had somebody of national prominence buried on the ground. Thus, the remains of David Barton were moved from Sunset Hills to Walnut Grove Cemetery in March 1853 . The cemetery investors decided a new tombstone was needed and so political strings were pulled. On December 8, 1855 the Missouri legislature authorized $400 to erect a new marble gravestone and build an iron fence around the circular lot. The inscription on this new stone repeated exactly the inscription on the earlier tombstone which was left in place in Sunset Hills Cemetery. The new tombstone was over 20 feet tall and was ornamented by an intricately carved torch shown being extinguished by being turned upside down. The dousing of an eternal flame was intended to symbolize how the death of Barton caused knowledge to be extinguished. ​ The first gravestone remained in Sunset Hills Cemetery until 1899 . The University of Missouri acquired the original Thomas Jefferson Tombstone and displayed it on the Frances Quadrangle near the recently completed Jesse Hall. A member of a MU fraternity was visiting family in Boonville and wondered about the Barton tombstone. When told the details, he determined his fraternity would move the stone to MU and place it near the Jefferson monument as a visible reminder of another person interested in Missouri education. The fraternity raised enough money to accomplish the goal and the tombstone is still on the Francis Quadrangle at the University of Missouri. Original David Barton Tombstone previously located in Sunset Hills Cemetery—photo taken in the 1890’s Earliest known photo of David Barton Tombstone in Walnut Grove Cemetery shows fence posts for the iron fence around the lot and tombstone Original Tombstone now located on the Francis Quadrangle at the University of Missouri in Columbia The State Fair was not a financial success in Boonville, and the honor was soon passed to Sedalia, Missouri. But the David Barton monument, fence, and lot graced by walnut trees remained in place. A horse watering trough was placed immediately to the north of the lot so that the horses pulling hearses in funeral processions could drink. In 1901 nationally known landscape architect, George Kessler, was hired to develop a landscaping scheme for the cemetery. Suddenly it was the 21st century and the Missouri Bicentennial Commemoration was just around the corner. Although the Kessler plan was still in place, inevitable changes had occurred. The walnut trees on the Barton lot had died of old age. The iron fence was removed during a scrap metal drive. Horses no longer pulled hearses to the cemetery so the trough was dry. Not having any descendants, nothing had been done on the Barton lot since he was buried there so long ago. The Hannah Cole Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, wanted to commemorate the Missouri Bicentennial with a project that would have a lasting positive impact in the community. Restoration of the David Barton tombstone, replacement of the fence, repair of the watering trough and replacing walnut trees became the goal. Happily, the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution has a competitive national competition for grants that are used for historic projects. The Hannah Cole Chapter DAR and Cole’s Fort Chapter Children of the American Revolution (CAR) applied for one of these grants. CAR members measured how much fence would be required and decided to undertake the watering trough as their project, intending to plant it with flowers each year. Needless to say, all were thrilled when this project was granted the entire amount of requested funds. Cole’s Fort CAR member Abbie Wax looking at tape measure after measuring the size of a lot foundation stone at the David Barton tombstone (behind her)—Walnut Grove Cemetery, Boonville, Missouri, in November 2019 The watering trough on the north side of the David Barton lot with his tombstone in the background behind CAR member Abbie Wax. Stone, circular foundation blocks are visible. The first thing done was to clean the tombstone with D/2 chemical solution. The entire stone was also checked from top to bottom for cracks and fissures. Amazingly. the stone was still perfectly level after 164 years. The watering trough was also thoroughly cleaned and all cracks were repaired. Refilled with dirt, the trough was turned into a beautiful flower bed. Cole’s Fort members, Children of the American Revolution (CAR) planted the watering trough one Sunday evening just before Memorial Day weekend so it would look nice for that holiday. ​ Originally, the iron fence posts had been set in the circular foundation stones going around the lot. When the replacement fence arrived, the installation crew found the stones to be too fragile to withstand post holes drilled into them. With supervision from the cemetery superintendent, the fence was placed in the grass in the lot in the best position for weed eating, creating a win-win project where the fence was replaced and the original stones were kept. The final phase is to plant walnut trees again on the lot. This was done in Fall 2020 . Hopefully, this lot and the items placed on it will survive and be in good condition when Missouri celebrates its Tricentennial in 2120 . The finished product! August 2020 Cole’s Fort CAR Members plant the watering trough—May 2020 Sunset Hills - If Walnut Grove was the place to be buried for Boonville’s rich and famous, Sunset Hills was the resting place for everyone else. Some of Boonville’s earliest settlers are buried there. The city of Franklin was the starting point of the Santa Fe Trail and travelers who died on their way west often ended up in Sunset Hills. The same held true for criminals – the first stone in Sunset Hills belongs to James West, who was hung for murder. Mrs. George Caleb Bingham, Sarah Elizabeth, is buried in Sunset Hills. Sunset Hills was started by the Methodists as a Methodist church burial ground. Soon, there were too many burials, and the Methodists turned the cemetery over to the city. Many people think that Sunset Hills is the Black cemetery in Boonville, but the segregation was not intentional. After Walnut Grove was built, many of the wealthier families moved their family to Walnut Grove, leaving Sunset Hills de facto segregated. To date, there are no Black people buried in Walnut Grove. There are many African-American Civil War veterans buried in Sunset Hills who fought for the North. Perhaps they are near the mass grave for the Union soldiers. Photos courtesy of Sharon Dyer and Wayne Lammers With permission from Sharon Dyer With permission from Sharon Dyer HANNAH COLE GRAVE SITE Hannah Cole Head Stone Dedication of Hannah Cole Grave Site, October 31, 1932 Hannah Cole, a widow with nine children, is believed to be the first white woman head of household to venture south of the Missouri River within the state of Missouri. Many historians have portrayed Hannah Cole and her family as courageous leaders in the pioneer days of Cooper County, Missouri. She came to what was to become Cooper County along with her sister Phoebe and her brother-in-law Stephen and their children, who were the first white people to settle in the present site of Boonville in early 1810. ​ She has been lauded as “Missouri’s greatest Pioneer Mother.” ​ The Briscoe Cemetery was deeded by William Briscoe to the people of the community in 1867. It was a family burying ground as early as 1825. The cemetery, which is one acre in size, is located on Highway 5 about 15 miles south of Boonville. ​ The burial place of Hannah Cole and many of her family had long lain unattended for many years. Some of the headstones had fallen down and many were sunken into the ground. ​ Hannah’s grave was unmarked until the Pilot Grove Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) decided to mark her burial place in 1932. A huge red Granite boulder from southeast Missouri, was moved to the historical burial site as a gift from the highway Department. Circling the base of the boulder are cemented 13 large stones, each stone from one of the Cooper County townships. ​ The grave was formally dedicated on October 30,1932 with a bronze plaque set into the Granite. The inscription reads: ​ “Cooper County’s first white woman settler, whose unfailing courage in facing the dangers of the wilderness and a cruel Indian War entitles her to be called a Pioneer Mother of early Missouri Civilization 1764-1843 ​ The fenced cemetery is located next to land which is now the Hannah Cole Wayside Park, maintained by the state of Missouri. The Briscoe Cemetery is maintained by the Cole Family Association. ​ This cemetery is a spot of historical interest for all Missourians. ​ Other Cooper County cemeteries on the map that follows are: Saint Joseph , in Pilot Grove (#39) and Saints Peter and Paul (#42) in Boonville, are the two largest Catholic cemeteries in the Boonslick region. Hannah Cole , the founding mother of Boonville, is buried in Briscoe (#6) cemetery. Pleasant Green (#31) features the graves of several Civil War era soldiers. Pisgah (#29) is also notable for Civil War burials, including the grave of one of the two Robert McCulloughs. The Robert McCulloughs were cousins, and both were Confederate soldiers. General McCullough is buried in Walnut Grove. Concord (#10) is one of the oldest cemeteries in Cooper County and it’s the oldest Baptist cemetery in the region. Pleasant Grove Evangelical (#32) is a German cemetery where originally, they buried people in order of the date of death instead of in family groups, an old German custom. Today they are buried in family groupings. Old Lamine (#26) is a typical country church cemetery. At New Lebanon Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery (#23) you will find all styles of graves, including the four wives of Mr. Mahan. Wives number 2, 3 and 4 have identical headstones. Wife #1’s stone has fallen over- perhaps because of too much grave rolling? Perhaps Mr. Mahan got a volume discount on tombstones. As for him, he’s buried on his own lot. Makes you wonder why. ​ Other Cooper County cemeteries on the map that follows are: Saint Joseph , in Pilot Grove (#39) and Saints Peter and Paul (#42) in Boonville, are the two largest Catholic cemeteries in the Boonslick region. ​ Pleasant Green (#31) features the graves of several Civil War era soldiers. Pisgah (#29) is also notable for Civil War burials, including the grave of one of the two Robert McCulloughs. The Robert McCulloughs were cousins, and both were Confederate soldiers. General McCullough is buried in Walnut Grove. Concord (#10) is the oldest cemetery in Cooper County and it’s the oldest Baptist cemetery in the region. Pleasant Grove Evangelical (#32) is a German cemetery where originally, they buried people in order of the date of death instead of in family groups, an old German custom. Today they are buried in family groupings. Old Lamine (#26) is a typical country church cemetery. ​ “Corn” Taylor” moved to Cooper County in about 1817. He brought with him a number of slaves. He asked to be buried in a local cemetery and also have his slaves buried there beside him. When his request was denied, he chose a burial place on his own property, and his slaves were buried there also. It is thought that as many as sixteen or more slaves were buried there. There is one large marker with the Taylor data. About twenty-nine graves were counted here, but unknown, as the only markers are rocks. Missouri Law 214.455 – Destruction or defacing any cemetery property, penalty : Every person who shall knowingly destroy, mutilate, disfigure, deface, injure, or remove any tomb, monument, or gravestone, or other structure placed in such cemetery or burial ground or place of burial of any human being, is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. Terms Used in Missouri Laws 214.455 Misdemeanor: Usually a petty offense, a less serious crime than a felony, punishable by less than a year of confinement. Person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020 ​ INFORMATION ON COOPER COUNTY CEMETERIES The first two sites will help you locate the cemeteries and those who are buried there. The Website “Find A Grave ” is very helpful to find graves anywhere in the US. North American obituaries Secretary of State - To request an appointment email archives@sos.mo.gov or call (573) 751-3280. Cooper County MO Cemetery Records - LDS Genealogy Biographical Memorabilia for Cooper County Taylor Springs Burial Ground Cemetery References at CCHS : Pleasant Green Underground by Florence Friedrichs – booklet detailing a brief history of the town of Pleasant Green and those who are buried there. For sale at CCHS - price $9 ​ Cemetery Records and file information for Cooper, Moniteau and Morgan Counties. Card File with Individual Burial Records Cemetery Record Books with burials listed Cemetery Locations – see end of Early Churches , listing churches by Township Notebooks listing burials by cemetery Cemetery map brochure with 52 cemeteries– free Large cemetery wall map of 186 cemetery locations Church Records in File Drawer 104 different churches some with a great deal of information See last portion of Church section for listing of some cemeteries by Township Cooper County Missouri Genealogy good source of cemetery information Cooper County Cemetery Records Map of majority of the old Cooper County Cemeteries

EARLY NEWSPAPERS The "Boonville Herald," the first newspaper in Cooper County, was established in 1834 by James O. Middleton and edited by Benjamin E. Ferry. Four years later, Robert Brent bought a half interest in the paper and its name was changed to "The Western Emigrant." The second newspaper in Cooper County appeared the following year to assist in the 1840 election campaign. The "Missouri Register" was published by William T. Yoeman was the first Democratic paper in western Missouri. Both newspapers changed name and ownership several times over the following years, but neither survived the American Civil War. Although Boonville was the county seat, other newspapers were created within Cooper County. Bunceton, for many years the second largest town in Cooper County, boasted several newspapers over the years. The "Bunceton Enterprise", "The Bunceton Eagle", "The Bunceton News", and "The Bunceton Tribune" all contributed to local news. The last to fold was "The Bunceton Eagle" in 1943. Pilot Grove also boasted a number of newspapers in its past. The earliest, "The Pilot Grove Record," was established in 1880. "The Pilot Grove Bee" was another early paper in Pilot Grove although its exact date of operation is not documented. Other papers that have come and gone include: "The Cooper County Leader," "Pilot Grove Herald," Pilot Grove Enterprise," and "The Sentinel-Star" which went out of business in 1952. Otterville had two newspapers, the "Otterville Weekly" and "The War Eagle & Camp Journal of the Army of the West," start publication during the Civil War in 1861. Other papers appeared after the war: "The Little Missourian" and "The Otterville Mail" which closed in 1924. The town was without a newspaper until 1958 when "The Otterville Community News," began operations. Blackwater, too, at one time had its own newspaper. "The Blackwater News," which was established in 1892, ceased publication in 1923. Boonville, as the county seat, had the largest population and the most newspapers. Some of the names from this list are merely name changes while others are new papers: "Boonville Herald", "Missouri Register", "Boonville Observer", "Boonville Commercial Bulletin", "Weekly Democrat", "Boonville Weekly Observer", "Central Missourian", "Boonville Weekly Patriot", "Fifth Iowa Register", "Central Missouri Advertiser", and the "Boonville Monitor". None of these papers survived the Civil War. Other papers came after the war, papers such as "The Boonville Eagle", the "Boonville Missouri Advertiser", the "Central Missourier", and "The Weekly Topic". Today, with economical and technological changes, Boonville is down to one newspaper, "The Boonville Daily News". These are the newspapers that were published in Early Cooper County from about 1910 to current date. ​ Many of these early papers have few or no issues left in existence, so information is slim for most of them. ​ Research: Ray Owens ​ BLACKWATER Blackwater Advance Blackwater Wave Blackwater Echo Blackwater Times Blackwater News ​ BOONVILLE Between 1900 and 1930 The Boonville Advertiser was the main Democratic paper and the Central Missouri Republican was the main Republican paper. Eventually the two papers merged under one owner and became the Boonville Daily News, that is still in operation. ​ BUNCETON Bunceton Enterprise Bunceton Telegram Bunceton Weekly Eagle Bunceton News Bunceton Tribune ​ OTTERVILLE War Eagle (Civil War Military paper) The First Division Proclamation (Civil War Military Paper) Otterville Weekly Otterville Argus Otterville Call Otterville Mail Otterville Community News (Still running) ​ PILOT GROVE Pilot Grove Bee Pilot Grove Mirror Cooper County Leader Pilot Grove Herald Pilot Grove Enterprise Pilot Grove Record Pilot Grove Star Pilot Grove Sentinel-Star ​ WOOLDRIDGE Wooldridge Star ​ Source: Ray Owens ​ ​ EARLY COOPER COUNTY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES Here are a few political comments from the September 1, 1916, Boonville Weekly Advertiser. ​ “During a recent short trip across the Canadian border, Mr. Hughes was held up and his car searched for explosives. As there was nothing more dangerous than his Detroit speech, he and his party were liberated very promptly. ”As a mud slinger, a chronic scold, Judge Hughes is the greatest candidate ever placed before the public for any office.” ​ “ ‘The only thing needed to carry Missouri,’ says the Globe-Democrat, ‘is a proper campaign.’ Not the only thing;--a proper candidate, a proper platform, proper issues and a proper party behind all these might help some.” ​ Other changes between 1916 and 2016 focus on finances and the cost of living. Central National Bank, for instance, paid 2% interest on checking accounts, 3% on 6-months deposits, and 4% on 12-months deposits. Today, few if any types of bank deposits make even 2%. Cigarettes on the other hand are sky-high. The cheapest brand today is over $2 a pack, but Chesterfield’s, one of the premium brands in 1916, were only 10-cents a pack. And used National Cash Register registers were advertised on sale between 5-cents and $10. The listed new price was $175. ​ Need a place to live? You might be able to find a studio apartment today for $250 a month. In 1916? “House for Rent—Four rooms, water in kitchen, price $9. South Third Street.” Back then, water in kitchen was a good thing. Today, it means ‘fixer upper.’ ​ Source: "Historically Yours "by Elizabeth Davis. ​ NEWSPAPER ARTICLES 90+ YEARS AGO Reporting the news has changed a lot over the years. Today one has only to punch a button on a smart phone to get international news as it happens. In our early days, colonists relied on newspapers. While newspapers are still around, they have changed dramatically - they can even be read online. Many magazines have stopped printing all together and gone to electronic versions. ​ But what were newspapers like before all this modern technology changed us into an instant gratification generation? ​ “The Cooper County Republican” was established in 1929 and published every Tuesday. Here are some of the headlines that appeared on the front page of the January 18, 1938, issue. ​ “Roosevelt Vetoes Bill to Hike Hourly Pay of Postal Char-workers” ​ “Improvement Shown in Missouri Public Schools” ​ “Daily Papers Protest Rise in Paper Prices” ​ Other news which appeared as short announcements included the following: FDR held a press conference (before the Recession Parley) that all Holding Companies had to go; a photo and caption: “FDR’s Recession Parley--Labor Leader John Lewis and Financier Owen D. Young leaving the White House and being interviewed by reporters”; and “St. Louis—UAWA Strikers Receive First Ford Peace Offer”. Ford’s seniority list would include UAWA members and consent to a Union election. In return, they asked the Union to call off the strike and withdraw all charges of unfair practices. ​ The front page included local news as well. ​ “Pythian Notice: The first bridge party to be held after the Christmas holidays will be held at Caste Hall here tomorrow evening at 8 o’clock. All members, their family and friends are urged to attend.” ​ Funerals, marriage licenses, and birth announcements were also included in local news. ​ Inside pages: Today, some papers print books reviews. In the 1930s, “The Cooper County Republican” printed whole chapters. One issue might have Chapter 1 then skip two weeks and print Chapter 6. One could never read the whole book in the paper, but it was entertaining and led to sales. ​ HIPPA is responsible for some of the changes. Announcements like, “Mrs. Jones and new baby dismissed from St. Joseph Hospital,” and “Mr. Smith underwent an operation this morning at St. Joseph Hospital” are no longer allowed due to privacy laws. While the story of a man robbed and left beaten on the side of the road would still make it into today’s news, it’s highly unlikely that a picture of him in his hospital bed, caption reading, “semi-conscious patient with brain damage”, would be allowed. ​ These are just a few of the changes that have taken place in newspapers over the past 80 years. Who knows what another 80 years will bring. ​ Adapted from: " Historically Yours " by Elizabeth Davis ​ Otterville Newspaper was named Otterville Mail In 1872, J.L. Johnson, established the Otterville Call paper. After a short time he sold it to James Eubank, a prominent teacher of Otterville. Eubank, after a short time sold it to Frank Varner, also a resident of the town. Mr. Varner then leased it to Pearce & Holman, soon after taking charge they changed its name to the Cooper County Mail. Pearce & Holman ran the paper one year, when it passed on to G.P Garland, an old newspaper man. The Mail is an independent local paper, advocating no political doctrine except that of good government. Mr. Garland edits a paper which redounds much credit to Otterville. Mr. Garland died in 1939 in Otterville at the age of 96. Missouri’s 29th Lt. Governor born in Bellair, Missouri Newspapers S. W. Crossley was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, on November 23, 1842. Crossley was a Confederate veteran who fought in the Stonewall Jackson Brigade. After losing an arm in the war he became a noted educator and settled for a time in Bellair, Mo. Professor and Mrs. Crossley’s only son, Wallace Clifford Crossley, was born in Bellair on October 4, 1874. Wallace Crossley grew up in Mexico, Mo., and after high school graduation, he attended William Jewell College in Liberty and the University of Missouri. He returned to Mexico to teach English before his career took him to Warrensburg Normal School, which after several name changes is now the University of Central Missouri. In 1904, Crossley was elected as a Representative to Missouri’s General Assembly. He served three two-year terms under Governors Joseph “Holy Joe” Wingate Polk and Herbert Spencer Hadley. Crossley went into the newspaper business in 1907 when he became publisher of the Journal-Democrat. The two papers had merged in 1876. Following another merger in February 1913, the paper became the Star-Journal. He would continue as published until his death in 1943. Crossley was only out of the General Assembly two years. In 1912, he was returned to Jefferson City for a four-year term as a Senator under Governor Elliot Woolfolk Major. In 1916, Wallace Crossley was elected 29th Lt. Governor of the State of Missouri. He and newly elected Governor Frederick “Fred” Dozier Gardner served from January 8, 1917, to January 10, 1921. It was during these four years that Missouri went from a debt of $2,250,000 to a surplus of $3,500,000. Wallace Clifford Crossley died on December 13, 1943, and is buried in Sunset Hills Cemetery in Warrensburg. J. Melton and Big Sky Park - part of Harley Park Newspapers Elston Joseph Melton was born in Jefferson City on November 17, 1891, and grew up around California, Mo. After high school, he attended the Chicago Art Institute before turning to newspaper work, first in California, Mo., then in Miami, Ok., and finally back in Mo. at Clayton. During the Great War, Melton served in the navy at US Naval Base 17 in Scotland. After the war, he returned to the newspaper business working for papers in Pilot Grove, Sedalia, Boonville, and Caruthersville working as a printer, reporter, editor, partner, and even owner/publisher. He sold The Caruthersville Republican in September 1925 when Governor Sam Baker appointed him deputy state oil inspector for southeast Mo. Melton launched the Boonville Republican in April 1929, publishing it as a weekly for four years before turning it into a daily. A year later he merged it with the Boonville Daily News. Fourteen months later, he sold out and stepped down as editor. Although the majority of Melton’s time up to 1935 was spent in the newspaper business, he did have other interests. After selling his share of the Boonville Daily News in 1935, Melton continued to write, doing special pieces for the Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian and a syndicated column called “Pen Pointers.” In 1936 he published “Will Rogers, Kemper Valedictorian ’98.” It was probably during these two years that he started writing his history of Cooper County, Missouri, which was published in 1937. That same year, he published “Billy Aikors history of 1937.” Along the way, his daughter Mary grew up and married Harry Eugene Hall. The couple gave Mary’s parents four grandsons. Mark Melton Hall was born in 1949 and Michael Owen Hall followed in 1950. The twins, Dale Todd Hall and David Paul Hall, were born in 1952. Then tragedy struck. In June 1961, Mary died unexpectedly at the couple’s home in Canton, Mo., leaving behind a husband and four pre-teen sons. In January 1968, a $1,000.00 certificate was donated to the City of Boonville by Mr. & Mrs. E. J. Melton to start a trust fund as a memorial to their daughter, Mary Melton Hall. The Park Board members were to be trustees and administer the funds with the interest being used for improvements and plantings in an area west of Harley Park to be known as “Big Sky Park.” On May 6, 1968, the Boonville City Council unanimously approved an ordinance which created and defined the Big Sky Area of Harley Park along with its trust fund. Today, on Riviera Dr., a plaque can be found on a large rock overlooking the area. It reads: “Harley Park, ‘Big Sky Area,’ In Memory of Mary Melton Hall, Denoted by E J Melton Family.”

COOPER COUNTY IS FORMED Howard County Has Been Named “The Mother of Counties” Two years after Howard County was organized, there was so much immigration into the southern part of the county that there was a great demand for the division of Howard County and for the formation of another county south of the Missouri River. Because of this demand, the territorial Legislature, on December 17, 1816 , formed the new county of Cooper, which included all of Howard County south of the Missouri River. In 1803, the United States had more than doubled its size with the Louisiana Purchase. The following year, what would one day become the State of Missouri was divided into four districts. On October 1, 1812 , the area was reorganized into five counties and named the Missouri Territory. ​ Although a few changes took place in the Territory between 1813 and 1815 , the biggest change occurred on January 23, 1816 , with the organization of Howard County. Named after Benjamin Howard, the first Governor of the Missouri Territory, Howard County covered more than one-third of the state. It reached all the way to what would become Kansas and Iowa. Howard County would eventually form all or parts of 39 additional counties. Boonville, which was south of the Missouri River across from Franklin, was the county seat. ​ As the population increased south of the river, people began requesting Howard be made into two counties, one on each side of the Missouri River. Finally, after less than three years, Howard was divided. On December 17, 1818 , everything north of the river remained Howard County, and everything south of the river became Cooper County, which was named after Sarshel Cooper and his brother Benjamin, early settlers of the area. ​ The one drawback to the division was the county seat. Boonville was Howard County’s seat of government, but it was on the wrong side of the river. Laid out in 1823 , Fayette became Howard County’s county seat. ​ This territory included what now forms 11 counties and parts of five others. Cooper County was gradually decreased in size by the formation of new counties. By 1845 , the boundaries of Cooper County were as they are today. ​ HISTORICALLY YOURS, by Elizabeth Davis HOW COOPER COUNTY CAME TO BE By Dr. Maryellen H. McVicker The area that is now known as Missouri, was originally divided into 5 counties in 1812 by Territorial Governor William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition: St. Louis, St. Charles, New Madrid, St. Genevieve, and Cape Girardeau. ​ These 5 counties had their origins in French settlements mostly along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. On January 13, 1816 , Howard County was created out of portions of St. Louis and St. Charles counties, and eventually encompassed enough land that 39 counties, or approximately 1/3 of the entire state of Missouri, would be formed from the original Howard County territory. Cooper County was one of those counties. It was organized as a separate county on December 17, 1818 . By 1821, Missouri had 25 counties. Eventually there would be 114 counties, and the City of St. Louis. The central Missouri region experienced rapid growth during the first 2 decades of the 19th century. By 1820 , what is now Howard and Cooper Counties, had a population of over 20,000 people, which was about 1/3 of the entire population of the Territory of Missouri. The population of the entire United States was between 9 and 10 million. Now, two hundred years later, over 300 million call the United States their home and approximately 38,000 people live in the two-county region. Cooper County will soon be 200 years old. Cooper County predates statehood. The 1876 Levens and Drake History of Cooper County tells a story about an early county employee: “Sometime during the year 1817 , William Gibson, …was appointed by the Territorial Court constable. …Soon after his appointment, there being some trouble down on the Osage, he was sent there with a warrant for the arrest of a man who had caused the trouble. …As he was on his journey back, and also having an execution against a Man who lived on the road, he stopped at the man’s house and proceeded to levy a tax on the feather beds, as nothing in those days was exempt from levy (taxation—ed.) But, as soon as he made his purpose known, four women, who were the only persons at home, threatened to give him a thrashing, so he was forced to retire as fast as he could, and return with the execution unsatisfied. To add to this, the court only allowed him, for his journey of one hundred and forty miles, which occupied four days, the magnificent sum of twenty-five cents. Mr. Gibson thinking the office not quite lucrative enough to justify him devoting his whole time to its duties, and not wishing to risk his life at the hands of angry women, quietly sent in his resignation…” Some things never change! Notice the size of Howard County compared to Cooper County COUNTIES THAT WERE FORMED FROM COOPER COUNTY Not only were 14 counties formed from Cooper County, many of these counties, in turn, were the parent county to new counties. Cooper County as originally formed comprised the present day counties of Bates (Formed 1841 from Cass County), Benton (Formed 1835 from Pettis County), Camden (Formed 1841 from Benton County), Cass (Formed 1835 from Jackson County), Cole (Formed 1820 from Cooper County), Henry (Formed 1834 from LaFayette County), Jackson (Formed 1826 from LaFayette County), Johnson (Formed 1834 from LaFayette County), LaFayette (Formed 1820 from Cooper County), Miller (Formed 1837 from Cole County), Moniteau (Formed 1845 from Cole and Morgan Counties), Morgan (Formed 1833 from Cooper County), Pettis (Formed 1833 from Cooper and Saline Counties), St. Clair (Formed 1841 from Henry County), and Saline (Formed 1820 from Cooper and Howard Counties). ​ References : Ann Betteridge

MILITARY WAR RECORDS MoGenWeb ​Rosters of Missourians who served in MISSOURI UNITS during the following wars: War of 1812, Black Hawk's War 1832, Heatherly War ca 1836/7, Osage War 1837, Mormon War 1838, Seminole Wars 1836-1837, Iowa War (Honey War) Late 1830s, Mexican War 1846 - 1848, Southwest Expedition 1846-1865, Spanish American War 1898 Cooper County Military Wars Military Records pertaining to Cooper County, Missouri for the following military eras: Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Indian Wars, Civil War, World War II, World war II and beyond can be found. ​ CIVIL WAR ALONG KANSAS/MISSOURI BORDER Civil War on the Western Border: The Missouri-Kansas Conflict, 1854-1865 Documents related to the hostilities that shook the Missouri-Kansas border region before and during the American Civil War. The collection includes photographs, letters, diaries, maps, and military records from over 25 contributing institutions. ​ ALL WARS UP TO AND INCLUDING WORLD WAR I MISSOURI VETERANS Civil War Soldiers and Veteran’s information (Missouri) Civil War in the Ozarks Missouri Sons of Confederate Veterans National archives Available to request copies of older military records ​ CIVIL WAR, SPANISH AMERICAN WAR, WORLD WAR I AND WORLD WAR II –UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI The Military and Mizzou, 1861-1946 From the archives of the University of Missouri, the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II are covered as well as Lt. Enoch Crowder and the National Defense Act of 1916 and the ROTC. ​ NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION While most of their holdings are not online, a variety of military records, from photos to documents to searchable databases are available. WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties: World War II Casualties Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Personnel: World War II Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 – 1946: WWII Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938 - 1946 (Reserve Corps Records): World War II Prisoners of the Japanese File, 2007 Update, ca. 1941 - ca. 1945: WWII Naval Group China Muster Roll and Report of Change Punch Cards, 1942 – 1945 ​ WORLD WAR I/NATIONAL VETERANS World War I in Missouri: WWI Military Service Cards: A Brief History Soldiers' Records: War of 1812 - World War I ​ WORLD WAR I/MISSOURIANS KILLED IN THE GREAT WAR Missourians Killed in The Great War Honor States.org HonorStates.org can be used to find killed veterans in WWII, Korea and Vietnam as well. ​ WORLD WAR I/MISSOURI VETERANS Missouri Doughboys Prominently mentions Cpl. Rudolph Forderhase of Howard County The WWI and National Museum Memorial ​ WORLD WAR II/MISSOURI VETERANS WORLD WAR II RESEARCH GUIDE The impact of World War II on Missourians can be seen in the State Historical Society of Missouri's collections of newspapers, letters, diaries, records, photographs, and memoirs written during or about wartime military service. The collections also offer materials pertaining to civilian life during wartime and information on veterans' organizations. These records help us to understand the effects the war had on Missourians fighting overseas as well as those providing strength on the home front. ​ WORLD WAR II/MISSOURI CASUALTIES Missouri Casualties in WWII Honor States.org WWII Army Casualties: Missouri

EARLY TRANSPORTATION Immigration into the county had been halted by the War of 1812 but, by 1815 , there was a steady flow of people coming to the county. Settlers brought with them wagons and horses. Mules were brought in from Santa Fe after the opening of the Santa Fe trail in 1821 . Settlers began to mark out roads and to cut their way through the forest. Oxen were often used for wagon transportation and continued to be used for many years. The prairie presented few obstacles to travel, but to go through a forest was an entirely different matter. A wise selection of a route was needed or there would be lots of labor in cutting trees and fording streams. No public roads were laid out (on paper) until 1819 . But no construction work was done upon the roads nor were they thought necessary for a many years. The first petition for a public road in Cooper County was presented by B.W. Levens. It asked for the location of a road leading from Boonville to the mouth of the Moniteau Creek. The second petition for the location of a public road was by Anderson Reavis, presented on the same day. The road that was petitioned for ran from the mouth of the Grand Moniteau to the Boonville and Potosi road. When Cooper County was officially organized as a county in 1819 , the stream of immigration to the south side of the river was increasing and roads were needed. STAGE COACHES When many of us think of stage coaches we think of them in relation to the “wild west”. But stages coaches were a very important means of travel in Cooper County for many years. A stage coach was a vehicle much like an enclosed wagon with a high roof, wooden sides and doors with windows on both sides. It had an elevated seat in the front where the driver, or “whip,” was seated. Inside were seats for the passengers. The passengers sat with their baggage on their lap and mail bags under their feet. If they wanted to sleep, they had to sleep sitting up. The stage coaches were designed for travel, not comfort! They were safer than traveling alone and were often the only way to travel any distance. Roads at this time were only dirt, often rocky, and muddy after rain or snow. Coaches were pulled by draft horses, many of them Clydesdales, because of their good temperament. Stages were pulled either by two horses or a team of four. The coaches were called “stage” coaches because the travel route was done in “stages.” Stations, or stage stops were usually 10 to 15 miles apart. The horses traveled about 5 miles per hour, and pulled the coach for two to three hours. At the end of the trip between one stop and the next, the horses were replaced by another team and the tired horses rested until the return trip. Some stages traveled 60 -70 miles a day. At some stops a meal or beverages might be available, (at an extra cost) and some had provisions for sleeping. The cost of the journey was usually 10 to 15 cents per mile, which would be quite expensive based in today’s dollars. In the 1830s , a stage coach depot was located along the road between Boonville and Jefferson City. Known as "Midway" the stop was about 1 ½ miles east of the present site of Prairie Home, at Tompkins' Inn. In the mid-century, stagecoaches made regular trips to various towns in Missouri. The Tipton to Boonville Stage Coaches operated in the Cooper County area from 1850 to 1860 . An interesting account of the Tipton-Boonville Stage written by Mrs. L.H. Childs appeared in The Boonville Advertiser - Rural Life Edition, in 1940. Tipton-Boonville Stage Changed Horses at Biler Home Near Speed One and one-half miles east of Speed, in central Cooper County, stands a dilapidated but vivid reminder of the past. On the southwest corner of the crossroads at that point is an old-fashioned log house, and to the rear, only partly standing is an old barn. ​ Up until 1868 this place buzzed with activity. It was the home of Mr. Abram Biler, his wife and two daughters, and the Boonville-Tipton stage coach made a regular stop there to change horses. The horses were cared for until the return trip, when they were changed again. The ladies served meals to the travelers. ​ Mr. William Eller told that when he was a small boy, he would hear old Mike, the driver, come down the road blowing a bugle to let the people know the stage was coming. It is said Mike could crack his whip so loud the sound would travel almost a mile in the clear air as he drove his fine horses. Sometimes the road was hard and dry, and at other times the mud was ankle deep or the snow was drifted high, but the stage went through. ​ The road, which now is of all-weather construction, was little more than a trail at that time. Jr. Irving Harness’ father sold the stage line a number of fine horses, as only the best animals were used to pull the coaches. It was quite a thrill for a number of small boys of the neighborhood when Mike would let them ride the stage to the bottom of the hill to the south. They never seemed to mind the tiresome walk back. ​ Stage coach days carried their humor and tragedy, as all generations do. When Mike would linger to talk to Miss Puss Biler, some of the passengers would grow quite impatient, but that would have no effect on Mike as he would have his little visit out before he would go. ​ During the last years of the Civil War period, an order was issued calling in all guns in an effort to stop guerrilla warfare. One evening, however, the report of a gun was heard and when neighbors investigated, they found M. Biler slain in his cucumber patch. ​ Mr. Biler is buried with many other pioneers in the old Concord cemetery. When the branch railroad was completed between Boonville and Tipton, there was no further need for the stage line and it faded into history. ​ Probably the last visible stage stop in Cooper County is located on the North side of Highway 5 between Boonville and Billingsville. The limestone block building was built by O.H.P. Shoemaker in 1860 and the stone was cut from a nearby quarry. He used smoother stone for the front of the building and rough-cut stone for the sides. The road in front of the house was the stage coach road/mail route to Warsaw. On the lintel above the door of the house is engraved “O.H.P. Shoemaker 1860 ” (see picture). ​ The Shoemakers were Unionist, coming originally from Kentucky and Illinois. A son (or nephew) Horace, became a Captain during the Union occupation of Boonville and organized a voluntary cavalry unit to escort the mail, guard the telegraph wires and escort captured Confederates to Jefferson City. Capt. Shoemaker became a marked man when he took a local man named Spencer from imprisonment at the Boonville courthouse to Harley Park and hanged him without a trial. ​ When General Price and the Confederates took control of Boonville in October 1864, Shoemaker surrendered and was confined with his family to his house in Boonville. In the dark of night, according to Van Ravensway, Spenser’s sons came for Shoemaker pretending to have orders from General Price. They took him away and Horace Shoemaker was never seen again. General Shelby was quoted later that the incident “will remain the most regrettable occurrence during the war”. East of the stone house three serious skirmishes took place that October. General Fagan stood off attacks by Union Generals Eppstein and Sanborn with heavy loss of life at Anderson’s Branch. ​ Mrs. Shoemaker and her family, fearing further retribution fled to Oregon. The property was parceled and sold in 1866 $2,000 to Christian Osten and John Dumolt. In 1868 The Osage Valley and Southern Kansas Railroad was completed between Boonville and Tipton and the stone house was convenient to the depot at Billingsville. New immigrants arriving from Germany by steamboat took the train to Billingsville where they found welcome in their native language with the Dumolts who were originally from Alsace Lorraine. Once the railroad came through Cooper County, there was no longer a need for the stage coaches. Interestingly, once trucks and cars became popular, there was little use for trains for transportation and most of them eventually disappeared. ​ The Dumolts and Fredericks lived in the stone house for many years, adding a kitchen and an extension to the living space at the back of the stone building. There were extensive log and frame stables on the property until the present owners, the Burnetts, cleared away the worn wooden structures, but saved the stone cottage and a large chiseled stone horse trough to preserve this part of Cooper County history. Dumolt Stage Stop on Route 5 near Billingsville

EARLY COOPER COUNTY PERSONALITIES This adapted from “Discover Cooper County by Looking Back" by Ann Betteridge BLACKHAWK Blackhawk was a Sac Indian. He was living in the east part of Cooper County in 1810 when the first white settlers arrived. He became an Indian chief and an English general during the second war with England from 1812 to 1815. In 1832 his Blackhawk War spread over much of the Mississippi Valley. The two Cole families, first settlers in Cooper County, helped Blackhawk in his desire to understand the white man’s way of life. MRS. WILLIAM H. ASHLEY Elizabeth Ashley, the daughter of Dr. J. W. Moss of Howard County, was the wife of General William H. Ashley. Before her marriage to the famous fur trader she was the widow of Dr. Daniel Wilcox. After Ashley’s death she married John J. Crittenden, of Kentucky. A fictional history of her life, The Three Lives of Elizabeth, was written by Missouri author Shirley Seifert. ​ WILLIAM H. ASHLEY William Ashley was born January 10, 1764, at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He came from Virginia to Missouri in 1803. He was elected the first Lieutenant Governor of Missouri in the state’s first election. He was a fur trader who influenced the exploration and settlements of the West. He founded the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. He was not afraid to take his trade to places other people would not go. He was a member of Congress and served in the twenty-second, twenty-third, and twenty-fourth congresses. He owned approximately 28,000 acres along the Missouri River. He died on March 3, 1838, and is buried in an Indian mound on his land overlooking the Lamine and Missouri Rivers. See more about Ashley here . ​ DAVID BARTON David Barton was a pioneer Cooper County lawyer and was involved in the early political activities of Missouri. Soon after moving to Boonville, Barton served as a judge, representative, and author of our state’s first constitution. He was elected the first United States Senator to Congress from Missouri. David Barton Elementary School is named for him. In 1821 Missouri finally was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state. One of the main men involved in this process was David Barton who chaired the Constitutional Convention and who wrote the Constitution which was submitted to Congress for the admission of Missouri. Barton County in southwestern Missouri is named for him. He then became the first Senator and represented the new state in the U.S. Congress. Barton died in Boonville in September, 1837, and is buried in the Walnut Grove Cemetery, where there is a monument honoring him. The restoration of his tombstone, lot, and adjacent horse watering tough was an appropriate Missouri Bicentennial Project and was undertaken by the Walnut Grove Cemetery Board and the Hannah Cole Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. See the section on cemeteries for the DAR Restoration of David Barton’s Tombstone. Background of DAVID BARTON David Barton was born on December 14, 1783, in Greeneville, North Carolina. In 1809, Barton moved to St. Louis. During the War of 1812, he joined Nathan Boone’s company of mounted rangers which in turn got him plenty of recognition in Missouri. ​ Barton was serving Missouri prior to 1821 when it became the 24th state in the Union. He was elected attorney general of the Missouri Territory in 1813, was Howard County’s first circuit judge in 1815 and presiding judge in 1816. In 1818, Barton was a member of the Territorial house of representatives and served as speaker. He wrote Missouri’s first constitution when he served on, and was president of, the convention which was formed in 1820 to write the state’s first constitution. ​ Barton was unanimously elected to be one of Missouri’s first US Senators and it was his suggestion that Thomas Hart Benton be the other US Senator. Barton served from August 10, 1821, until March 4, 1831, and was chairman of the Committee on Public Lands. ​ After failing re-election to the US Senate, Barton ran for and was elected to the Missouri Senate where he served from 1834-1835. ​ David Barton died in Boonville on September 28, 1837, and was interred at Sunset Hills Cemetery, otherwise known as the Old City Cemetery. After Walnut Grove Cemetery was established in 1852, it was decided that one of Missouri’s first US Senators and author of the state’s first constitution was deserving of a more fitting burial site. David Barton’s remains were moved to Walnut Grove Cemetery. ​ Barton County, Missouri, is named in his honor, as is David Barton Elementary School in Boonville, Mo. ​ COLONEL CHARLES CHRISTIAN BELL Charles Christian Bell was born in Nassau, Germany, on August 30, 1848. After moving to the United States, he lived his early life on a Missouri farm near Mr. Sinai schoolhouse. His father, John Adam Bell, planted one of the first vineyards and orchards in that neighborhood, and taught his son the art of fruit growing, a business which he followed most of his life. He served in the Union cavalry and was held prisoner by General Joe Shelby’s command for two days and was then paroled. In 1879, he was commissioned by Governor Phelps as first lieutenant of the Missouri State Guards. In 1877, he and his brother established the firm of C. C. Bell and Brothers, wholesale shippers of fruit and farm products. He later purchased his brother’s interest in the company. ​ In 1886, he organized the Central Missouri Horticultural Association, serving as its secretary for 29 years. He also served this organization as president. He founded the International Apple Shipper’s Association in 1894, and was elected its first president. He experimented with and developed the Lady Apple tree in the Bell Apple Orchard, located about six miles east of Boonville. For years, each pupil in the Boonville Schools found a Lady Apple on their desk the first day of school. He is known for his many public services. ​ GEORGE CALE B BINGHAM As a young boy, Bingham lived in Franklin with his parents, where his father was a hotel keeper. As a young man he was apprenticed to a Boonville cabinet maker. His first wife, Elizabeth Hutchison, was from Boonville. He served in the Missouri legislature and was Adjutant General during the Civil War. He lived in Howard and Cooper Counties and built a home in Arrow Rock, which has been restored. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ George Caleb Bingham statue at Boonville ​ He is famous for his paintings, many of which were painted while he was living in Cooper County. He liked to paint portraits and scenes of everyday life. Some of his paintings can be seen in Boonville at the Boonslick Regional Library, the Masonic Hall and the Rotary International Headquarters; two are also hanging at Ravenswood. DANIEL BOONE Daniel Boone is known to almost everyone. He was born in 1728 and died in 1820. He came to Missouri about 1797 from Kentucky, and hunted up and down the Missouri River. His two sons, Nathan and Daniel Morgan Boone, ran a “salt lick” in 1807 about ten miles north of Boonville. The Boone brothers boiled the salt water, saved the salt, packed it in hollowed logs, covered the salt with mud, and floated the logs down the river, to St. Louis, to trade. KIT CARSON Kit Carson, whose real name was Christopher Columbus Carson, was born in Kentucky. His parents moved to Missouri where he was raised in Franklin, Missouri. He was taught to work in a saddle shop. He had been in the saddle shop only a few months when he ran away and joined a wagon train which was bound for Santa Fe, in Mexico, this was the start of his career as an Indian scout and trail maker. Kit Carson was never a resident of Cooper County, however he spent time here hunting and visiting with relatives. HANNAH COLE Hannah Cole was born in 1764 and died in 1843. She was the first white woman to settle south of the Missouri River. She came as a widow with her nine children and built a cabin on the present site of Boonville. A fort was built later which became known as Hannah Cole’s Fort. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ More than a lifelike statue of Hannah Cole in Boonville The marker is hewn from a large natural stone. The cemetery itself contains about an acre of ground and the D. A. R. Chapter intends that it shall be made beautiful ... stones gathered from all parts of the Hannah Cole Country; the historic connection will be complete." October 31, 1932 From the Pilot Grove Record "Grave Formally Marked" -"Tablet at Hannah Cole Grave is Unveiled" "With fitting ceremony, the grave of Hannah Cole, Cooper County's pioneer mother..." See the full Briscoe Cemetery story here . BENJAMIN COOPER Benjamin Cooper, Revolutionary War veteran, is regarded as the first permanent settler in this area. His wife and five sons moved to the Boone’s Lick country in the year 1808. They settled in the Missouri River bottom about two miles southwest of Boone’s Lick, which became known as Cooper’s Bottom. This area is not part of the present Cooper County established in 1818. Even though the Coopers lived in Howard County, they played an important part in the history of Cooper County. Benjamin built a cabin and cleared the ground for a permanent home, but he had to leave because he was too far from the protection of government troops. He returned two years later to the same place with a group of settlers, who built forts in Howard and Cooper counties. The fort helped protect them from Indians during the War of 1812. ​ SARSHALL COOPER Sarshall Cooper came to the Boonslick area in 1808 with a group of settlers led by his brother Benjamin. The group left the area and returned in 1810. They built four forts in Howard County: Cooper, Hempstead, Kincaid, and Head. Sarshall was chosen as Captain of the Military Rangers. There were Indian raids from 1812 through 1815. Sarshall was killed in one of the raids in 1814 as he sat by his fireside with his family in Fort Cooper, near the present town of Petersburg in Howard County. Cooper County was named in honor of Capt. Sarshall Cooper. BILL CORUM Martene “Bill” Windsor Corum was born near Speed, Missouri, on July 29, 1894. He attended grade school in Old Palestine and attended Boonville Public High School. He attended college at Wentworth Military Academy and the University of Missouri. Bill was among the first to enlist in World War I. He was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross. He was commissioned Major of Infantry, the youngest in the American Expeditionary Force. ​ Following World War I, he enrolled in the Journalism School at the University of Missouri in Columbia, where he graduated with two degrees. He became assistant sports editor of the New York Times. He was featured as sports columnist for the New York Evening Journal. He performed well at three different jobs. He was a good writer, and in addition, found time for radio and television commentary. He was especially well-informed in horse racing, baseball and boxing. Perhaps the most important activity in spreading his fame was the commentary on radio and television of the New York Yankee baseball games. He was president of Churchill Downs Race Track in Louisville, Kentucky from 1950 until his death. WALLACE CROSSLEY Wallace Crossley was born in Bellair, Cooper County, Missouri on October 8, 1874. He was a graduate of the University of Missouri. He was interested in the field of education for many years. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri in 1916. He was chosen president of the Missouri Press Association in 1932. He died December 13, 1943. ​ REVEREND FATHER RICHARD FELIX, O.S.B. Reverend Father Richard Felix came to Pilot Grove to serve as pastor of St. Joseph’s Church. He was author of six books. He delivered an extended series of lectures over three radio stations. Father Felix had three degrees: an A.B. in theology from St. Vincent’s Seminary, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, an A.M. from Catholic University, Washington, D.C., and a B.D. from Harvard, at Cambridge, Massachusetts. JACOB F. MELICH Jacob Gmelich was a native of Germany, who located in Boonville in 1860 when he was 20 years old. He remained a resident of Cooper County until his death 54 years later. He served as state representative from 1905 until 1909, and as lieutenant governor during the administration of Herbert S. Hadley. He was a Union veteran of the Civil War, a merchant, bank president and four times mayor of Boonville. PAYTON R. AYDEN Payton Hayden was the first lawyer certified to practice law in the Missouri Territory outside of St. Louis. He was the first lawyer to pass the bar, July 1819, in Cooper County, even before Missouri became a state. He was a native of Kentucky. He came to Howard County, Missouri, in 1818, and located in Boonville in 1819. He taught school in Old Franklin, one of his students being Kit Carson. Hayden died in Boonville on December 26, 1855. A Supreme Court Justice, Washington Adams, studied law in his office. ​ THOMAS JEFFERSON HOWELL Thomas Jefferson Howell was born near Pisgah in 1842. In 1850, he went to the state of Oregon with his parents. He was a farmer, stock-raiser, botanist, woodsman, mountaineer, and the discoverer of the weeping spruce. Because of his interest in botany, he became interested in the flowering plants of the northwest. In 1903 he published the Flora of Northwest America. FRANK & JESSE JAMES Jesse James was born in 1847 on a small farm near Kearney, Missouri. Jesse was 14 when the Civil War began, and left to fight in the war when he was 16. In 1865, he became an outlaw, along with his older brother, Frank, and some of the men who fought with them during the Civil War. Between 1866 and 1882 the James gang robbed trains and banks in Missouri and other states. Most of the railroads and banks were owned by Northerners. The banks charged high interest rates on loans to people trying to recover from the war. People also had to pay high taxes to support the railroads, and to pay high rates for transporting freight. Because of these injustices, many people were glad when the James gang robbed a bank or a train. Some people even helped the gang hide when the law was looking for them. In an effort to stop the robbing, in 1881, Missouri’s governor, Thomas T. Crittenden, a former Union officer, offered a reward for the capture of Jesse James. In 1882, Jesse was shot in the back of the head by one of his own men, Robert Ford, in St. Joseph, Missouri. Jesse was 35. Soon after his brother’s death, Frank surrendered and the career of the James gang was ended. FREDERICK T. KEMPER Frederick Kemper was born in Virginia. He established Kemper Family School in 1844, which later became Kemper Military School. The school steadily grew until it became one of the finest schools of its kind in the United States. Crosby Kemper, a banker in Kansas City who gave money to different organizations and causes in Boonville, is thought to be distantly related to Frederick T. Kemper. See more under Kemper Military Academy under schools section. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Kemper at Memorial Statues at Boonville ​ ​ THOMAS KIRCHMANN Thomas Kirchmann from Pisgah is known for inventing the cyclone “stacker” on threshers and the self-tying hay baler. He also made improvements on the steam engine. NATHANIEL LEONARD Nathaniel Leonard was born at Windsor, Vermont, June 13, 1799. He founded Ravenswood Farm in 1825, and was the first man to bring registered shorthorn cattle into the state of Missouri and into the United States west of the Mississippi River. The English herdsman, Thomas Boyen, set out from Chillicothe, Ohio, on May 22, 1839, to deliver the historic shipment of fine stock. He had to travel two days on a canal boat until he reached the Ohio River, then transfer his stock and forage onto a riverboat for the trip down the river until he reached Cincinnati or Louisville, transfer boats again to go down the Ohio to the Mississippi, then upstream to St. Louis, where he changed to a Missouri riverboat to take him to Boonville, with the last part of his long journey overland about 12 miles. Nathaniel Leonard successfully carried on farming and stock breeding on the Ravenswood Farm during his lifetime. He died at his farm on December 30, 1876. He was succeeded by his son, Captain Charles E. Leonard. CAPTAIN CHARLES LEONARD Captain Charles Leonard was reared on Ravenswood Farm. He received his education at Kemper Military School and the University of Missouri at Columbia. After receiving his education, he returned to the farm and was actively engaged in farming most of his life. He served as director of the American Shorthorn Association from 1882-1906. He was also president of the Central National Bank of Boonville. NATHANIEL CHARLES LEONARD Nathaniel Charles Leonard, only son of Captain Charles Leonard, was educated at Kemper Military School and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. He completed a law course in 1898, after which he spent most of his time continuing the breeding of shorthorn cattle. ​ CHARLES WILLARD LEONARD Charles Willard Leonard, son of Nathaniel Nelson Leonard, purchased the remainder of the farm from his brother and sister. His son, Charles Edward Leonard (great-great-grandson of Nathaniel Leonard) managed the farm until Charles W. died January 5, 2002. After the passing of Charles Edward in 2015, Ravenswood Farm passed into a family trust. ​ WILLIAM MITTELBACH William Mittelbach, a pharmacist, graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and received an honorary Doctor of Science in recognition of his service and dedication to the practice of pharmacy and his community of Boonville. Dr. Mittelbach was active in the Evangelical Church and many civic groups, including many years of service to the Board of Education. A memorial fountain in his honor stands just inside the Walnut Grove cemetery entrance. A 1926 biography stated, “No man in the history of Boonville has held more positions both honorary and active than this esteemed citizen.” ​ He was also a nationally recognized pharmacist, serving as president of national and state pharmacy organizations, and the Missouri Board of Pharmacy. He was a recognized authority in pharmaceutical science and a research associate of the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. JORDAN O’BRYAN Jordan O’Bryan served under General “Old Hickory” Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans. He moved to Cooper County soon afterward. He was a state senator during the 13th and 14th general assemblies, 1844 and 1846. He was county representative in the third, fourth and eighth general assemblies in 1824, 1826, and 1834. He was a Baptist leader known throughout Missouri. He was on the committee to locate William Jewell College. In an effort to establish the college at Boonville, he was able to deadlock the committee’s decision. The town of Liberty finally won by one vote. W. L. NELSON Nelson was a representative in Congress 10 of the 14 years from 1919-1933. In 1934 he was elected from the new second district of Missouri. He was also one of the first rural weekly editors in the United States to regularly feature farm and livestock news in the newspaper The Bunceton Weekly Eagle. WILL ROGERS Will Rogers attended Kemper Military School in Boonville from 1896-1903. Years later he became famous as an actor, humorist, writer, and philosopher. LON V. STEPHNS Lon Vest Stephens was a native of Boonville. He came from a family with banking history and was a graduate of Kemper Military School. He was governor of Missouri from 1897-1901. Before becoming governor, he was the state treasurer. During the time he was governor, the first Missouri State Fair was held and many state institutions were established. Some of these include: The State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia, the Fruit Experiment Station at Mountain Grove, a School for the Feeble-minded and Epileptic in Marshall, a state hospital for the insane at Farmington, and the State Board of Charities and Corrections. ​ JAMES MILTON TURNER James Milton Turner was born a slave in St. Louis, Missouri in 1840. His parents were John Turner Colburn and Hannah. John was a horse doctor. He bought his freedom and then in 1843, the freedom of his wife and son. ​ In 1847, a law was passed in Missouri that forbade blacks to be educated. This did not stop the Turners, as James was educated in secret. He attended Oberlin College for one term when he was 14, but was forced to leave school in 1855 when his father died. He returned to St. Louis and supported his mother by working as a porter at the beginning of the Civil War. Turner became a body servant (valet) to Madison Miller, who joined the Union as a captain of the 1st. Missouri infantry. Among other battles, they served together at Wilson's Creek and Shiloh. By the time the war was over, Miller was a Colonel. Colonel Miller's brother-in-law, Thomas Fletcher, was elected Governor of Missouri in November 1864. Governor Fletcher appointed Turner Assistant Superintendent of schools where he was in charge of establishing schools for blacks. Over thirty schools were opened across the state while Turner served in the Department of Education, including Lincoln Institute in Jefferson 'City, now known as Lincoln University, which was the first black high school and teacher training school in Missouri. A civil rights activist, Turner was one of the founders of the Missouri Equal League. This was the first black political organization in the state. In 1871, Turner was appointed Ambassador to Liberia by President Ulysses Grant. Serving in Monrovia, Liberia, from 1871 to 1878, Turner was the first African American diplomat to a foreign country. When Turner returned from Liberia. he continued to reach out and help others succeed in the white man's world. He served on the Refugee Relief Board, and in 1881 he and Hannibal Carter organized Freedman's Oklahoma Immigration Association to promote homesteading in Oklahoma. He spent the next 20 years of his life in Indian Territory, fighting for the rights of blacks. He died in Ardmore, Oklahoma on November 1, 1915. A bust of James Milton Turner stands on a pedestal in the Morgan Street Park on the northwest corner of Main and Morgan Streets in Boonville. ​ References: Elizabeth Davis, "Historically Yours"; James Milton Turner 1840-1915 James Milton Turner -SHSMO - Historic Missourians Jame Milton Turner - (1839? - 1915) Missouri Encyclopedia James Milton Turner (1840-1915) BlackPast James Milton Turner - Wikipedia ​ GEORGE GRAHAM VEST Senator George Graham Vest represented Missouri in the United States Senate from 1879-1903. He was an early Boonville lawyer, involved in the building of Thespian Hall, a state legislator from Cooper County, and a supporter of the secessionist movement. He left Boonville at the First Battle of Boonville on June 17, 1861. He is most remembered for his famous “Eulogy to a Dog,” given before a jury at Warrensburg, Missouri. ​ PAUL WHITLEY Paul Whitley was born 13 years before the American Revolution, on July 20, 1762. He died September 23, 1835. He made provisions in his will to leave money to the “poor children” in Cooper County. His will stated “at the death of my wife whatsoever may remain I wish placed by my executors in the hands of the County Court of the County of Cooper, and that they cause the same to be disposed of for schooling of the poor children in the township of Moniteau in said County of Cooper and State of Missouri. The amount of his estate was $3,768. Following the death of his wife in 1855, the money was turned over to the county court to be given to the poor in the schools. The amount grew to $13,000 due to interest because it was several years before it was used. Money was given to the schools each year. In one year, 1927, 877 boys and girls enjoyed the gift given to them. In the early 1900s, his body was removed from the grave on the bluffs of the Missouri River near Wooldridge. It was taken to Harris Cemetery near Prairie Home where a monument was erected in his honor. WALTER WILLIAMS Walter Williams was a distinguished editor. He founded the first School of Journalism in the world and was President of the University of Missouri, at Columbia. He was a native of Boonville. He took his early training as an apprentice on a Boonville newspaper, later becoming its editor as well as the editor of a Columbia newspaper. He was a firm believer in the free press. He died in 1935. ​ HORACE GEORGE WINDSOR Horace George Windsor was the first president of the Missouri Corn Growers Association, serving until his death. In 1915, he raised the first 100 bushels of corn per acre crop in the world. He raised 116.9 bushels of corn per acre in 1917. In one year, he won first prize for the best corn in six state fairs. DE WITT C. WING DeWitt Wing was a native of Lamine township. He started his career as editor of The Missouri Democrat. He was editor of the Chicago Breeder’s Gazette for 26 years. He was editor of the Rural New Yorker, New York City. He was an information specialist for the Federal Agricultural Adjustment Administration. CHARLES WOODS Cooper County Missouri Justice of the Peace, 1820-1829, Justice of the Court, 1825. Woods was Born 1791 in Madison County, Kentucky, the fourth child of Rev. Peter Woods. In 1810 he moved to Franklin County, Tennessee. He entered the service in 1812 and Tennessee in 1814. He served as a Corporal and as a Sergeant. He served under Colonels Thomas Hart Benton and William Pillow. In both cases, the General was Andrew Jackson. Charles received 160 acres in the form of a military warrant for his service in the War of 1812. He was named a Justice of the Peace of Lamine Township, Cooper County, in 1820 by Governor Alexander McNair. The 1883 History of Cooper County lists him as a settler of Kelly Township in 1818. Charles was also named a Justice of the Peace for the Township of Moniteau, County in 1829, this time by Governor Frederick Bates. Each of these offices were for four years in duration. Charles was a County Justice, which is the equivalent of a County Commissioner today, in the May, through November Terms of 1825. According to minutes of these terms, this body was involved in the decisions of where to place roads, who would operate ferries, caring for paupers, appointed road overseers, appointed “Captain of the Patriots” in Boonville (and relieved the same), administrated patrols, approved repairs of the jail and other public properties as well as the costs associated with these, administrated the activities of the Sheriff, as well as other county officers. Charles is described in the 1883 History of Cooper County as being “for many years the leading Democrat in his neighborhood. He wa s a man of no ordinary ability, of pleasant address, and a liberal-high-toned gentleman. “Charles Woods died in January 1873 in Tipton, Missouri. He and his wife, Susan Jennings Woods, are buried in a cemetery named Woods Family Cemetery Number Two. HARVEY BUNCE Harvey Bunce was born in North Port, Long Island, New York, on October 28, 1816, the first of two children of Harvey and Keziah Jarvis Bunce. He received his education there in the commons schools. He was apprenticed to Messrs. Bayless & Co. in New York to learn the ship builder’s trade when he was 16. Four years later, he came to Missouri because he believed there were better opportunities out west for those willing to work hard. He spent the next ten years building bridges and working as a carpenter. During this time, he gained a reputation as a superior mechanic, a good businessman, and an excellent citizen. ​ Bunce took up farming in 1847 and his political career began the following year when he was elected county assessor. He was elected sheriff at the next election and was re-elected until 1961 when he resigned. ​ But Bunce’s service to the county were not yet over. In 1862 he was appointed public administrator, a position he held for 12 years. At the same time, he represented Cooper County in the state legislature in 1862-63. In 1864 he was a member of the state constitutional convention. ​ His personal life as a businessman was equally successful. He was one of the leading farmers in the county and a leading bank stockholder. He was made a director of the Central National Bank of Boonville in 1866, a position he held until 1881 when he was elected vice-president of the bank. With all his interests, he was one of the most important citizens in the county. ​ In 1868, a town about 15 miles south of Boonville was laid out and platted. It was named after Harvey Bunce. ​ Harvey Bunce died on May 14, 1893, and was laid to rest at Walnut Grove Cemetery in Boonville. Source: Elizabeth Davis "Historically Yours"

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

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