CROW’S NEST
By
LILIAN HAYS OLIVER
©
1969, Chedwato Service, Burlington, Vermont
PART II
HOWELL’S PRAIRIE 1800-1940
(pp. 127-187)
1. Originally the home of Dr. Jasper
Newton Castlio (17, 36) and his wife, Mahala Keithly Audrain Castlio
(A name followed by a number
indicates that additional
information about that person will
be found in the paragraph
indicated. On maps of Mechanicsville
and Howell’s Prairie
I have indicated by numbers the
locations of fifty-two
places. These numbers correspond to
the numbers of the
paragraphs following in which I have
given a brief history
of the particular place.)
I do not
know when nor by whom this two-story frame house was built, but it was the home
of Dr. J. N. Castlio and his wife after their marriage in 1850. This was their
home until their marriage of Great-aunt Mahala’s five Audrain children:
Francis, Pierre Manarre, Mary Medora, Samuel Keithly, and Aulana Frances. Here
were born the four Castlio sons: Bransby, Mitchell (32), Calvin (17), and
Jasper Leeman (35).
Dr. Newton
Castlio, a graduate of the Medical School of the University of Missouri, was
the first doctor on Howell’s Prairie, where he practiced for thirty-five years,
being succeeded by Dr. John L. Martin (husband of Aulana Audrain) and by his
son, Dr. Mitchell Castlio.
Dr. J. N. Castlio
and his wife lived on this farm until 1879 when they moved to Mechanicsville.
On July 3, 1884, Dr. Castlio
sold for $4,800.00 this farm of “170 acres more or less” to Mr. James M.
Zumwalt who retained possession until April, 1904, when he sold to Mr. John
Cunningham. In February, 1909, Mr. Cunningham sold the property to Mr. Wesley
Chaney, who with his family lived here until October, 1918, when he sold the
farm to Mr. M. Bine and moved to Sugar Creek, near Kansas City—and we lost one
of the best neighbors we ever had. In August, 1930, Mr. Bine sold to Mr. Otto
Lowhaus who tore down the old house and built a new one nearer the Marthasville
Road, two or three years before Dr. Snyder of Defiance bought the farm in
January, 1933.
In 1900 Dr.
J. N. Castlio wrote a letter to a cousin, Dr. John Duff Brown; this letter
contains so much interesting information about the “old set” that I think a
copy of the letter should be included in this account of Mechanicsville and
Howell’s Prairie.
April 24, 1900
Francis
Howell and his wife, Susannah Stone, came from North Carolina
where they were married. They had 10 children, half or more were born in N. C.
The others were born in Mo.. Francis
Howell was born in 1762 and died in 1834, 72 years old. His wife was born in
1763, died in May, 1826, age 63. The Stone family was noted for their wonderful
activity, and some of our uncles, of the Howells, were also noted for their
marvelous activity, inherited from the Stones. Francis Howell lived on Pedee
River and ran a mill during the
Revolutionary War. He was old enough to be in the army, but being a miller and
grinding for the public, I suppose he was exempted from service. He moved to Missouri
about 1795. In those times, in moving west, I think they packed their plunder mainly
on horses, using very few wagons. They managed for two or three or more
families to go together on account of danger from the Indians. Nancy Howell
(Callaway Castlio) though quite small remembered things which took place in
their travels and relates the following incident. She said they had to travel a
dangerous part of the country (from Indians) and required two days to get
through. Consequently had to spend one night in the dangerous section. She said
they travelled some time in the night to keep the Indians from tracking them
should they happen on their trail. They camped, made a fire, cooked and ate
their supper. When they went to bed they took the women and children 20 or 30 yards
to one side to sleep, telling them if the Indians fired on the camp to lie
still and not stir. The men folks watched, standing guard, but fortunately they
were not molested nor disturbed. The next day they got through the dangerous
portion and finished their journey without incidents of danger, or more than
common to families traveling through savage countries in those early days.
Arriving at St. Louis, which was then but a small French village, the head man
wanted Francis Howell to settle there and teach the French how to farm,
offering him 40 acres on the hill in heart of the city where St. Louis now
stands, and worth millions of dollars. He refused the offer and settled in St.
Louis Co., Bonham Bottom, not far from the Mo.
River where he lived four or five
years, then moved across the river and into St. Charles Co. and settled on the place
where he spent the remainder of his days. I will merely mention that John
Stone, Susannah’s brother, helped move Francis Howell’s family out here,
returned, and some years later moved out here with his own family, and settled
about one and a half miles from where we lived, and several years afterwards
moved to Troy, Lincoln Co., where he lived and died. He reared a large family
of boys and girls, all of whom are dead.
I have
stated that there were ten children of the old set of Howells. They were John,
Thomas, Newton, Sarah who married
W. Stewart, Nancy (our mother), Francis, Susan who married Larkin Callaway,
Benjamin, Lewis, and James.
As you
already know all about your grandpa Howell’s children, your mother’s brothers
and sisters, I will say but little. There are but two children living, Benjamin
and Malinda. Ben as we called him moved to Vernon Co., Mo.,
in 1854, and settled about one and a half miles from Nevada,
the county seat. He is still living, or was last fall. He is smartly over 80
years old. His wife and more than half of his children are dead. He has but three
children living, and he lives with the youngest.
Malinda
lives in Fort Scott, Kansas,
about 20 miles from where Ben lives. She lives with her son and only child. He
was in Drugs the last time I heard from them, which has been some time. She had
two daughters. One died when eight or nine years old. The other lived to be
grown and married Sam Muschany. She died in her first confinement, leaving a
daughter, now grown and married.
Thomas
first lived in Warren Co. and was there during the war. He was wounded by the
Home Guards, but got well after the close of the war. He and his family moved
to St. Louis Co., just across the river from here. They both died not a great
while after moving there,—I mean his wife and self of course. I don’t know how
many children he had. I know of but one, and she is now living in Warrenton
with her uncle, Hezekiah Moore.
William
raised by Francis Howell went to Cal.
during the gold excitement, was taken sick with chronic Dysentery. He was
unable to do anything, continuing sick concluded to return home. He started by
sea, but in a few days died, and was buried in the Pacific. He had a delicate
constitution and never should have gone. He had studied medicine, graduated
regularly at the State University
and ought never to have taken such a step. He had plenty without such risks.
Thomas
Howell (2nd son) married a Miss Callaway, a granddaughter of Daniel Boone. They
had 14 children. All lived to be grown, and all married except 3, Eliza,
Minerva, and Alonza. Minerva died about the time she was grown. Eliza lived to
be over 80, died 7 or 8 years ago.
All are
dead but three—I now give their names beginning with the oldest. Larkin,
Quenzy, Eliza, Pizarro, Alonza, James, Amazon, Elviza, Mary, Mandelia, Minerva,
Jemima, John, and Lewis. Alonza is still living 85 years old, gets around and
works some nearly every day. He is tolerably well off. Lewis is still living.
He is in Visalia, Cal. Mary when I
last heard from her was in Arizona
pretty much broken up. The young set is scattered all over the western country,
clear to the Pacific.
Newton
Howell who lived in Warren Co. near Warrenton had a large family of boys and
girls, mostly boys. He had but two girls. As they lived off some distance from
us, I do not know very much about them. He married the second time and lived to
be quite old. I do not think there is a single one of his children living now.
All dead—several died here, some in Cal.
Aunt Sarah
Howell married Wm. Stewart. They lived near Uncle Lewis and Frank Howell. They
had 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. Namely—Suckey, John, Nancy, Francis, Elias
Climson, and Melcena. They all had children except Nancy.
She married but had none, and died early in life. All of Uncle Billy’s children
are now dead. They have several children living around here yet. Climson moved
to Texas about 20 years ago and
settled in Wise Co. He had a son-in-law by name of Cunningham who killed a man
at Fort Worth. He was sent to the
penitentiary for 5 years. He did it in a passion and liquor too. He was a
clever man when sober. I knew him well. A few of the Stewart family are in Cal.,
are scattered around but not so much as some of the other families.
Nancy
Howell Callaway Castlio (my mother) was married twice. First Capt. James
Callaway, grandson of old Daniel Boone. He was killed by the Indians during the
War of 1812. My mother had three children by Callaway, Thomas, Wm. Boone, and
Theresa Emmaline—we called her Sis. They all married. Thomas married a Miss
Keel, sister to your grandpa Howell’s 2nd wife. They had several children, but
I think they are all dead, as well as the parents. Boone Callaway married
Malinda Silvey. Both died some years ago. They had six children, three of whom
are dead, three living, Howard, Clay, and Angelina are living. The dead are
William, Morgan, and Adaline. Howard is living in Arizona,
is married. Clay is in Mechanicsville with two children nearly grown. Angelina
is a widow, lives in Washington, a town on the Mo.
River about 25 miles from here and
has 5 children—she married a Bigelow.
Mother
remained a widow three years, then married John Castlio, my father. Both are
dead. Father was 73 years old when he died, mother 77. Their children are all
dead but two, Beverly and I. Will name them beginning with the oldest. John,
Fortunatis, or Doc as we called him, Jasper Newton, or Newt, as I’m still
called, Othaniel or Maw, Beverly or
Bev, and Zerelda. Zerelda has been dead about 30 years. She died leaving three
children. One of them is dead, the other two have families and are doing well.
John, our oldest brother, has been dead about 7 or 8 years. His wife died about
3 years after John. About half of his children are dead; three yet survive, one
girl and two boys. One is a lawyer, the other a farmer. John’s wife was a
Stone, daughter of John Stone of whom I’ve spoken. Fortunatis has been dead
about 20 years. He married a Bigelow. He went to Cal.
in 1849 during the gold excitement and succeeded very well. When he died he
left his wife and children a good start. They had 9 children—4 girls and 5
boys. One of the girls and one boy is dead. Most of the boys are out West in Cal.,
Wash., and Montana.
Now I come
to myself. Like you, I studied medicine, and graduated at the same time with
Wm. Howell in the Medical Department at the State
University. I married the widow
Audrain, daughter of Samuel Keithly. She had 5 children. We married in 1850 and
lived together 46 years or until her death which took place over 4 years ago.
She died the 12th of April in her 78th year. Time with me has rather dragged
along since her death. I will be 78 years old the 15th of June. We had four
children, all sons. Our oldest, Bransby, is somewhat demented at times.
Mitchell is our second son. He went to the State
University and graduated in
medicine. He married Irene Castlio. Calvin the third son married Alice Stewart.
Leeman the fourth son married Amanda Mathews.
Three of my
wife’s children by Audrain are dead. The other two boys are down in Texas.
Their names are Pierre Manar and Samuel K. Audrain.
Othaniel,
or Maw, as we always called him, went to Cal.
with Doc. He was right successful, came home, married Cordelia Keithly, my wife’s
sister. They had 9 children—Norman, Coleman, Medora, Hortense, Serena, Wheeler,
Aletha, Uncas, Iantha.
Beverly, or
Bev as he is commonly called, went to Cal.
during the gold fever. He succeeded very well, came back and married a daughter
of Lewis Howell’s who lived only 5 or 6 years after their marriage leaving a
daughter and son, Willie Lee and Emmett, who were consumptive and lived only
until about grown. Bev never married again but lived with my son Mitchell. He
is 73 years old and has been quite fortunate in life.
Next I
speak of Uncle Frank and Aunt Polly as she was called. She was a Miss Meeks and
lived to be 103 years old. Uncle Frank was 81 years old. It was a terrible
shock and loss to them when they heard of the death of William. They thought a
great deal of him and had he lived he would have inherited all of their
property. About $10,000 of Uncle Frank’s property was used to errect a school
building, and employ a teacher. We built it and have been using the school
about 19 years. We call it Howell’s Institute. Free to all; the fund now amounts
to about $13,000. It is, I believe, doing considerable good. The balance of his
property he gave to different ones of his relatives, mostly to his brother
Lewis’ children.
Aunt Susie
married Larkin Callaway, a brother of Capt. James Callaway, both grandsons of
Daniel Boone. They lived upon Sharot Creek near the Mo.
River. They had 5 children, 3 boys
and 2 girls. The boys were James, Lewis, and John, the girls Malissa and
Maturisa. James and Lewis both studied medicine. Lewis graduated at the medical
college, St. Louis. James never
attended lectures, nor graduated. He went to Vernon Co. and practiced there.
They both died during or directly after the war. Aunt Susie and Uncle Larkin
died tolerably early in life. The other children lived so far off that I don’t
know what became of them, but feel certain they are dead. Their children may be
living somewhere yet.
Uncle Ben
Howell was born in this neighborhood. He lived and died here. He married a Miss
Castlio, my father’s sister. They had eight children namely ——, James, Francis,
Newton, Susan, Thomas, Pizarro,
Mahala, and Mary. The first four named are all dead. You may recollect Jim and
Frank as they were called; they were a year or so older than I. Uncle Ben died
two or three years before the war began. He was only 62 or 3 years old. Aunt
Mahala lived 5 or 6 years longer than Uncle Ben. Their family scattered and
moved off less than most of the Howell families.
Lewis
Howell was born in this country May, 1800, and died when he was 76 years old.
He married a Miss Lamme, a great-grand-daughter of Daniel Boone. They had five
children,—Eliza Anne who married brother Bev, Mary Frances who died before she
was grown, James William, Sarah Roslin, and Achilia (Gamble). Aunt Serena,
Lewis Howell’s wife, lived some years after his death. (Here follows a
statement which I suppose is momentous.) Her son, James William, went through
the war from start to finish; is now living in Saline Co., Mo.
He married a Miss Murdock. Has gone through pretty much of all his property left
him by his father, but his wife has plenty inherited from her father’s estate.
Sarah Roslin never married; lives with her sister Achillia Gamble, who married
Rufus Gamble about 25 years ago. He is a school teacher and preacher, a very
good man. Has taught school all his life, but has given up teaching on account
of his health. They have no children. James William has one, a son, grown and
married.
Now comes
James F. Howell, the youngest of the Howell children, although the youngest, he
died younger than any of the old Howell set. He married a Miss Morris, sister
of John Morris who married Betsy Howell, a sister of your mother. They had 5
children. One died when quite small; the other four are John Lewis, Francis,
Verlena, and James, lived to be grown. Frank, the second child, went to Cal.
during the gold fever. John Lewis married Miss Thomas, they went to Vernon Co.
where both died a few years afterwards leaving some children. Verlena married
Scott Chambers. They also moved to Vernon C., Mo.
They had one daughter. Verlena died a while after the war. James the youngest
joined the army and was killed in Arkansas
at the battle of Pea Ridge. Aunt Iby Howell died shortly after the war. She
moved to Vernon Co. with her children. So Uncle Jimmy, his wife, and all of his
children are dead except Frank, the 2nd son who is in Arizona.
Newton
Castlio
2. The J. U. Muschany home
In April,
1886, Willie Abner Castlio (4) sold to Mr. J. U. Muschany (19) part of lot 3 of
the Fortunatus B. Castlio estate in the original James Beatty survey 991. Until
about 1914 this was the home of Mr. Muschany, his wife Margaret Morris
Muschany, and their four children: Ethel, Morris, Claude, and Karl, all of whom
were born here. (9, 18, 19, 20, 23, 26).
July 21, 1919, Mr. J. U. Muschany
sold this farm to Mr. Charles M. Moore (42) who on January 22, 1922, sold to Mr. Walter Post, the
owner in 1940.
3. “The Gordon Place”
November 23, 1885, Willie Abner
Castlio (4) sold to M. T. Orrick two acres of lot 3 of the Fortunatus B. Castlio
estate in the Spanish Grant 991 of James Beatty. Here the Orricks built a three
room house where they lived until March, 1892, when they sold the place to Mr.
Robert Sterling Zumwalt, who with his family lived here until August, 1903,
when he sold to Mr. William Huning. The latter sold to Mr. William M. Castlio
(21, 22, 48) in November, 1904 and Mr. Castlio to Mr. Azariah Gordon of Marysville,
Missouri, March 3, 1905. Mr. Gordon and his wife added another room
to the house.
On June 25, 1910, after the death of my
father in March, my mother bought this little two-acre place which was our home
until May 15, 1922. Mother
named our new home “The Shades,” but to us it was always “The Gordon Place.”
It was our
evenings together here that stand out especially in my memory. In the winter
time Mother would have our evening meal ready when I came home from school
about 3:30. As soon as we had eaten
supper and had washed the dishes, I would do my homework. Then the rest of the
evening was free. Often we would read. Sometimes Mother would play the piano
and sing for an hour or so. And sometimes we would put out the light in order
to enjoy better the flames or the glow of the fire in the baseburner. Then I
would curl up in my father’s morris chair. Mother would pull her rocker up to
the baseburner and put her feet on the footrest—and soon she would be telling
me one of the many, many stories tucked away in her memory. That story would
call for another, and another, and another until she would say, “Daughter, look
at the clock! You have to go to school tomorrow.” We spent the long summer
evenings on the front porch where her stories were accompanied by the weird
notes of the whippoorwill, the chirp of the crickets, the strident song of
cicadas—the symphonic harmony of all the summer night’s insects.
In 1922,
when we moved to Columbia and I
entered the University of Missouri,
we sold this place to Mrs. Stella Blize who with her two children, Roy and
Wuanita lived there until 1940, when she moved to St.
Charles.
I have been
told that for a while after this became Government property, the house was used
by painters for an office. Later it was destroyed, as were the other houses of
the village. In the summer of 1956, when we were last in the restricted area
the only way I could tell definitely where our home had once been was by the
lane—surprisingly still there—leading down to the former home of the Reverend
Mr. Samuel M. Watson. This lane had been directly in front of our front gate.
The embankment on which our house had stood had been graded down to the road
level and every tree and every landmark was gone.
4. The home of Fortunatus Boone Castlio
and Phoebe Bigelow Castlio (36)
I think,
though I am not positive, that Great-uncle “Doc” Castlio built this eight-room
house which was his home during his entire married life. (Married in 1853; died
December 12, 1879.) Here were born his ten children: Oscar, Ella May, Martin
Luther, Edwin, Beulah Irene, Willie Abner, Allene Eugenia, John W., Launa, and
Thomas Russel.
Part of the
F. B. Castlio homestead and dower was sold by Russel Castlio to Mr. William
Huning, who on November 1, 1904,
sold the same tract of land to Mr. William Stevenson and his wife, Matilda
Bierbaum, whose children, Wesley and Marie, owned the land in 1940.
On June 20, 1866, Fortunatus B. Castlio
laid out the original town of Mechanicsville,
consisting of ten numbered and two unnumbered lots north of the Marthasville
Road and nine lots south of it.
On October 16, 1866, Mr. F. B. Castlio,
proprietor of the town of Mechanicsville,
laid out the Castlio Addition consisting of lots twenty to forty-four, east and
south of the original town.
All of
Mechanicsville was in Survey Number 991 (640 acres) granted originally to James
Beatty. April 16, 1835,
this land was sold for taxes and purchased by James Silvey. September 21, 1837, James Silvey sold
to William T. Sanford, who on January
16, 1852, sold to Fortunatus B. Castlio for $904.73. To these 640
acres Mr. Castlio added 59 acres of southwest fractional quarter of Section 36,
Township 46 North Range 2 East and 55 acres of the south half of northeast
fractional quarter of Section 35, Township 46 North Range 2 East.
Among the
papers pertaining to the settlement of the Fortunatus B. Castlio estate is a
bill of merchandise rendered to Mrs. F. B. Castlio from R. and J. Atkinson of
St. Charles (December 29, 1879 to May 18, 1880) which is of interest because of
the opportunity it gives one to compare prices then and now. The following is a
copy of the bill.
5. Francis Howell High School
14
calico 1.20, 6 SK yarn 60, 2 lace 50/100, 14 shoe buttons
|
30.00
|
3.10
|
|
10
gingham 1.00, 4 coat binding 40, 4 pcs yarn 40
|
1.80
|
silk
floss 25, spool 5, 1 doz. hair pins 20
|
0.50
|
1 doz
pearl buttons 25, 7½ red oil cloth 75
|
1.00
|
I pr
artics 1.75, 1 pr shoes by Miss Irene 3.25
|
5.00
|
2 1/3
Bobinett 30/70, 26 sk yarn 10, 2 sp. silk floss 25
|
1.05
|
2-6 oz
zephyr 10
|
0.20
|
Putting
buttons on old pair shoes
|
0.10
|
2 Hdkfs
25, 1 dipper 10, 1 pr ties 2.25, 1 pr shoes 2.75
|
5.35
|
4 pins
2/85 1.70, 2/40 .80, 2 pr hose 1/70 1/45
|
3.65
|
1 pr
miss hose 45, 3 white flannel 45/135
|
1.80
|
4 Hdkfs
2/25 2/30 1.10, cologne 40, 2 Ruching 70
|
2.20
|
collarettes
30, 1 yd Ruching 20, 2 pr kid gloves 1.25/2.50
|
3.00
|
2½
cashmere 12 .32, 25 yd Brocade 20 5.00
|
5.32
|
2½
striped alpaca 20/75, 10 yd Rep 2.50
|
3.25
|
2 oz
zephyr 20, 2 pr hose 45/90 by mail
|
1.10
|
3 oz
zephyr 30, 2 Bn cashmere 75 1.50
|
1.80
|
2 yd
rep 55, 1 box paper 40, 6 pr lace Mitts 1.50
|
|
1 Germtown yarn 12
|
2.57
|
Cologne 20, 1 pr mens shoes 2.15
|
2.35
|
2 pr
sandals 2.50
|
5.00
|
2 yd
net 80, Linen floss 50, 1 bolt trimming 45
|
1.75
|
1 pr
miss slippers 1.20, 1 pr Ties 1.00
|
2.20
|
5. Francis Howell High School
In 1915,
due to the influence of Mr. Robert F. Wilson, the instructor at Howell
Institute, and a handful of parents who realized the necessity of an accredited
high school in the community, Consolidated District No. 2 was organized and
Francis Howell High School was built on a five acre tract of land bought from
Wesley and Marie Stevenson on September 25, 1915, the new school absorbing
Howell Institute and the endowment funds of Colonel Francis Howell and his
nephew, Hiram Beverly Castlio.
In February, 1916, the new building
was dedicated. Then Mr. Wilson, Mr. Milstead, and the students moved from the
old Howell Institute into the new Francis
Howell High School,
a two-story brick building with four class rooms and a basement under the
entire building. The curriculum comprised the regular four-year high school
course necessary for college entrance.
If I
remember correctly, there were eight great-great-nieces and nephews of Colonel
Francis Howell in the student body at that time, six of whom were also
great-nieces and nephews of Hiram Beverly Castlio.
Francis
Howell High School
was one of the few buildings in Howell not destroyed in 1940 as it was used by
the Ordnance Plant.
Consolidated
District No. 2 was comprised of Howell, Junction, Hamburg,
Enterprise, and Weldon Spring
Districts. When Consolidated District No. 2 was reorganized because the
district with its high school and five grade schools was taken over by the
Government, six more districts were added to the original five. These were
Cottleville, Union, Belle Aire, Fairmount, Independence,
and Friedens. In 1942, at a cost of $125,000.00 another Francis Howell High
School was erected, not “at or near Mechanicsville” as Francis Howell’s will
stipulated, but about ten miles from what had been Mechanicsville, on Highway
94.
6. The Howell-Gamble home
In August,
1897, John W. Castlio (4) sold to Achillia Howell Gamble and her sister, Sarah
Roselyn Howell, (19, 50), a part of the F. B. Castlio estate (the dower tract
of Phoebe B. Castlio) of the James Beatty Survey 991.
Miss Julia Watson of Washington,
D.C., wrote to me April 19, 1956: “Mr. Gamble did build his house—on
a two-acre lot, which he stocked with an assortment of fruit trees. They lived
to see some fruit, though they said they would not. The house was built in 1896-1897.
We remember that they lived in Hamburg
in 1895 and in their new home during the winter of 1897-98.”
Mr. Rufus
Easton Gamble, son of Archibald Gamble, postmaster of St.
Louis during the administration of President Fillmore,
was born in St. Louis in 1840. He
attended the St. Louis grade school
and high school and later the University
of Virginia. In October, 1877, he
married Achillia Howell, a daughter of Lewis Howell. He taught at Howell
Institute from 1887-1892 and from 1896-1899.
Mr. and Mrs.
Gamble and Miss Sarah Howell lived in this home on the edge of Mechanicsville
until their deaths, Cousin Sally being the last to go, in 1911.
This house,
the property of Samuel M. Watson, Jr., by inheritance from the Howell-Gamble
estate, was destroyed by fire in 1920 when Mr. Curtis Snyder (10) and his wife,
Olive Chesley Snyder, were occupants.
In 1926,
Earl Sutton and his wife, Edna Zeyen Sutton, built a five-room house on the
site. In 1940 when the Government acquired the property, the house was used for
a while as a hospital. Later it was destroyed. The Suttons moved to St.
Charles.
7. The Love home
On December 2, 1904, Mr. William
Stevenson sold to Mr. Thomas Love, one of the blacksmiths of Mechanicsville, an
acre of land from what had previously been the F. B. Castlio tract. Here Mr.
Love built a small house which was his home until March 3, 1908, when he sold this property to Mr. Curtis
Snyder (10) and his wife, Louise Watson Snyder. July 31, 1911, Mr. Snyder sold this home to Mr. and Mrs.
Henry Heusler, who on September 5, 1924,
resold to Mr. Curtis Snyder, who retained ownership until 1940, when he and his
wife moved to St. Louis County.
8. The South Dardenne
Presbyterian Church
From the “History
of the South Dardenne Presbyterian Church” by Miss Jeannette Watson and made
available to me by Mrs. Edith Snyder Dumm, I have obtained most of the
following information.
The South
Dardenne Presbyterian Church was organized in 1873, with two elders of the Old
Dardenne Presbyterian Church being charter elders of the new organization, Mr.
Lewis Howell and Mr. John H. Castlio.
In 1884 the Rev. Samuel M. Watson
was called to the South Dardenne Presbyterian Church and entered upon his
duties in 1885. Shortly after that the Presbyterians sold their share in the
Union Church of Mechanicsville to the Methodists and undertook to raise a fund
to erect a building on the lot given to them by Mr. Hiram Beverly Castlio, November 11, 1887. The new building
was completed in 1888.
The Rev. Samuel Watson died April 9, 1925, after having been
minister of the South Dardenne Presbyterian Church for forty years. He was
followed by Mr. Crowe, Mr. W. C. Colby, Mr. F. L. Reeves, and Mr. G. A.
Williams.
9. The Clay Callaway residence
The original house on this site was
one of the first in Mechanicsville; when Mother was six or seven years old
(1866-7) and was sent on horseback for the doctor, she remembered this little
house as one of the four or five on the lonely road through the woods between
her home and that of Dr. Newton Castlio. It was first a saloon operated by Mr.
Theodore Diehr. Then Mr. Julius Berg, a general merchant who came from Germany
to St. Charles County
in 1870, bought the saloon and built a store beside it; prior to the building
of the store, Mr. Berg peddled his wares in a wagon. (Mr. Calvin Castlio gave
me the above information about Mr. Diehr and Mr. Berg.)
February 13, 1871, Mr. F. B. Castlio
sold lots 34, 35, 36, and 37 to Mr. Andrew Journey. September 9, 1874, Mr. Journey sold these lots to
Mr. Berg, and in 1885 Allene Castlio (4) sold lot 38 to Mr. Berg. In April,
1886, Mr. Berg sold the five lots to Dr. M. L. Currier, who sold them to
Harriet P. Callaway in June, 1889. In 1898, Thomas Russel Castlio (4) sold lot
39 to Harriet P. Callaway.
Mr. Clay
Callaway remodeled the house, making of it a six-room dwelling where he and his
wife lived the rest of their lives. In August, 1919, Miss Mertie Callaway, the
only surviving child of Clay and Harriet Stewart Callaway, sold this place to
Isaac Stewart and his wife, Mabel Pugh Stewart.
This was
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Stewart and their sons—Ethelbert, Clarence,
Vern, Oliver, and Jimmy—until they moved to St. Louis
County. In June, 1932, Mr. Stewart
sold the place to Mr. and Mrs. Claude Muschany. (2) Here they lived with their
two sons, Norman and James Claude, until 1940, when they moved to O’Fallon, Missouri.
10. The residence of Mr. William Snyder and his
wife, Susan Murdock Snyder
In 1886, on
lot 44 bought from Hiram B. Castlio, Mr. Snyder built a two-story, six-room
house with lumber shipped from Washington, Missouri, and bricks hauled from St.
Charles. Mrs. Willie Harris told me that once as her father was leaving St.
Charles with a load of bricks, it began to rain. As
the bricks absorbed the water, they became heavier and heavier. The road became
muddier and muddier. The team became wearier and wearier. Twice Mr. Snyder had
to stop for help; the first time he was charged an exorbitant price for having
his load pulled out of the mire. The second time a farmer living near Weldon
Spring unhitched Mr. Snyder’s exhausted team and hitched his own horses to the
load for the rest of the trip.
For many
years this was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Snyder and their six children: Edith,
Elsie, Curtis, Junia, Mayburn, and Willie. After the death of his wife in 1929,
Mr. Snyder made his home in St. Charles
with his daughter, Mrs. Edward K. Harris, though he kept the old home in Howell
until 1940.
In the
early days of Mechanicsville, a tobacco factory was built in what was later the
Snyder garden, on the west side of the house. This factory was owned and
operated by Fortunatus B. Castlio who made plug tobacco, for tobacco was one of
the principal crops of the early farmers.
