RALLS COUNTY MISSOURI HISTORICAL NEWSLETTER

Volume 1 Issue 1,  January 2002

 

Dear Members and Friends of the Ralls County Missouri Historical Society:

             This is the first of what we hope will be many Ralls County Missouri Historical Society Newsletters.  Mary Beck and Martha Howald have volunteered to help on the newsletter and more people would be welcomed if you would like to help too. It is hoped that a newsletter could be sent out before each of our semi-monthly meetings by mail and/or e-mail. The first issue or two will be sent by mail and e-mail, but with upcoming issues those with e-mails may only get them that way. If you want yours sent both ways let us know. Please forward these to people you know that may have an interest.  It can be a major project to get out and to find useful information to a fill a newsletter six times year.  Your input would be helpful in filling these issues and they can be a forum for sharing your information with other members and the public.  If you cannot attend the meetings or you are not available to volunteer on the newsletter committee send your ideas to myself, Mary or Martha by mail or e-mail.  Our addresses well be at the end of this newsletter. Most newsletters have a name, like “New ‘N’ Notes” used by the St. Louis Genealogical Society, so a contest will be held to find a name for ours. Please mail or e-mail me your suggestion and we will have vote by the membership to pick a winner at the March meeting. The prize will be one of the new mugs being designed.

 CALENDAR:  

Ralls County Missouri Historical Society: Regular meetings.

January 21, 2002 at Center Christian church Basement

March 18, 2002 at Perry VFW

May 20, 2002 at New London courthouse basement

July 15, 2002 at Center Christian church basement

September 16, 2002 at Perry VFW

November 18, 2002 at New London courthouse basement

Special meetings are being planned and notice of these events will on the following newsletters. This special meetings will be for speakers and many out of town members would like to have a day meeting so they would not have to travel the longer distant at night. These could be a picnic or join meeting with another historical societies.

 Northeast Missouri Genealogical Society;

April 27 at Mark Twain Birth place, Florida Missouri

 BOOKS:

“Ralls County Settler and Settlements Volume I, Lick Creek is now available for $15.00 and $17.00 mailed. Miss Daisy’s, Prices Emporium and Lick Creek Antiques have copies at their stores in Perry.  We have sold about 70 of the 100 published and have not publicized them yet. A second printing is planned to go with a promotion.

 “End Of Way Of Life” by Dee West and Okla. Rouse is still available for $10.00 each shipped or not. Contact me about these.

 “The Mark Twain Book” by Oliver and Goldena Howard this now available for $15.00 and $17.00 mailed. A promotion is planned to go near the time of the Ken Burns Public Broadcasting Special on Mark Twain on January 16.  I will have the books at the next meeting and will be setting up a distribution system hopefully soon in Ralls and surrounding counties,

 “Ralls County Missouri” also known as the “Green Book” by Goldena Howard is on hold till we get estimates from two publishers.  The prospects look good for book price where we can sell them at a fair price.  I should have information by the meeting.

 Goldena also wrote excellent unpublished children’s books of Salt River history which we may have available too.

 I was told at my meeting with one of the publishers that they can publish as photo book for under $30.00. These could be a future project for the society.

 PROJECTS:

The county has express interest in restoring the historic New London courthouse and has asked for our input and help. This would be MAJOR PROJECT and would take a lot of work to complete. Funding would have to researched and coordinated complete a large project like this. We would have to work with other groups and associations to make this a success.  We need to discuss this at a meeting and get your input.

 Phyllis Hart has volunteer to produce at Ralls County Historical Society pamphlet. Your input can be helpful on this project, please help if you can.

 Delores Woodhurst will be working on a web site for the society and again your help is welcome.

 The new mugs are on hold because of problems with getting the images to work on the mugs. The pictures have to be replaced.

Presidents Views;

Because of the deteriorating condition of the old Fagan School, we as group need to act on its moving and restoration at the next meeting. The present owner has been very patent, but needs a decision to be made by our group too. With the sales of present and future sales of books, business/personal donations, membership and other sources we will soon have the funds to start the project. I have spoken to a number of businesses, former students of Fagan and people with an interest in Ralls county history that would be willing to donate on the project.  An early estimate for only moving the building was $6,000. The roof will have to be replaced and both the interior and exterior will need major repairs.  This building would be an excellent display location for the society and a learning tool for the younger generations and other people not familiar with one-room school days.  The next major factor in this undertaking is people power. Before a major project like this is started and funding found and committed, the personal have to be committed and planned also.  The more volunteer help we can commit from the membership the lower the overall cost will be.  Please try and attend the January 21 meeting or let me know of your availability to work on this project.  Nothing can or will be none before late spring or summer, we need to commit and confirm a mover, but a decision has to be made very soon.

If we cannot get the money or personal to start this project we need to move on to another project for the society.  There many worth while projects that have discussed and how that we have the funding we need to act. 

I would like to take this time to thank all of the officers and members who have held this organization together over the years and Bill Cearley who worked to rebuilt it the in past two plus years. The limited records I have shows that the first meeting of our group was in late 1976 and 1977 being the first full year. There are a number of original members who still belong and I would like to reward their loyalty of over twenty-five years. We research and prepare a list of those members for the March meeting.

For our group to continue to grow we will need help from our membership. Attending meeting is not the only way that you can help. Family events, night driving, living away from the area, and work can make it impossible to attend.  We also need help with manning booths we have planned for local events, skills at restorations, old photos, old articles, family stories written or oral, your knowledge of old historic homes or sites and many other you can make you an important member.

I will try and make this part of our newsletter not so long and drawn out the next time. As you see by this I’m a researcher not a writer. I think I hear my old Irvine grade school teacher Mrs. Knight spinning in her grave.

Ron Leake

President

 To reduce my input to this newsletters.  PLEASE send material to be used to fill and inform. 

 PLEASE COME TO OUR MEETING OR WRITE OR E-MAIL YOUR THOUGHTS. I hope to have a list of members with addresses. e-mail’s and phone numbers to pass out to those who would like to have them. If you do NOT want your address, phone or e-mail on the list please let me know. Mary Beck 15585 Red Oak Trail Monroe City, Missouri 63456     573-735-2155 mbeck@nemonet.com   

Also contact Martha Howald; 17635 Salt River Place, Center MO., 63436, 573-267-3504 mho3427537@aol.com

Ron Leake 1276 Pequeno Lane, Fenton Mo. 63026, 636-225-8575 with information for this newsletter rwleake@aol.com

 Ron Hibbs Woodenthump@hotmail.com

2002 DUES ARE NOW DUE     

Perry Missouri “Enterprise” October 20, 1927

The “Old Church” sold

            As announced in the Enterprise last week the Lick Creek Church known by many as “the old church” was sold at public auction, and C. P. English was the highest bidder at $305. Judge M. T. Gill, as president of the Lick Creek Association requested that if anyone had any objection to the building being sold to please say so. Also that the building would be sold subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees of the Lick Creek Church. There were no objections to the bid, which automatically approved of the sale. The seats and other furniture were sold. The sale totaled about $400.  It was figured that there is around 25,000 feet of lumber in the church, which is mostly oak of the best class. The frame is put together with wood pins. While the building was erected in 1860, it stands in about the same shape as it was when erected. There was no swag in the roof even, although the shingles are only in a fair condition. The building is 40X40 feet. The late John Brown did the framing of the building and a Mr. McClenen was the foreman, James McKinney and John Monks put in the foundation, J. M. Hurley assisted in the carpenter work, and is thought to be the only man living that worked in the building. The late M. P. LaFrance was one of the carpenters and it was about the first work he did after arriving in Perry. Mr. Hurley remembers that after the plates of the building were complete Mr. LaFrance walked the full length of the plates as steady as though he was walking on the ground. Mr. Hurley and Mrs. Mary Ely, of near Perry are the only living charter members of the Lick Creek church. Mr. English has until January 1st to raze the building. Thus one of the old landmarks on Lick Creek is to be no more. The early generation has many pleasant memories of happenings at this old church. The wrecking of this old building will cause many to shed tears of sorrow. The money derived from the sale will be put to good use, as it will be added to the endowment fund of Lick Creek Cemetery Association.

 Ralls County Historical Society

15585 Red Oak Trail

Monroe City, Missouri, 63456-3047

RALLS COUNTY MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY INCORPORATED

 

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION/RENEWAL FORM

 

JANUARY 1  _______ TO   DECEMBER 31  _______

 

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES;

 

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP $10.00           FAMILY MEMBERSHIP $15.00

 

Name___________________________________________________________________

                         Last                            First                             Middle                            Maiden

Street___________________________________________________________________

 

City, State & zip__________________________________________________________

                       

Telephone (Include Area Code)______________________________________________

 

E-Mail Address_______________________________________________________

 

PLEASE CHECK ONE: NEW MEMBERSHIP______          RENEWAL______

 

Make checks payable to: Ralls County Historical Society

 

Send to:            Ralls Co. Hist. Soc.

                        15585 Red Oak Trail

                        Monroe City MO. 63456-3047

                        % Mrs. Mary E. Beck

                         

RALLS COUNTY MISSOURI  NATIONAL HISTORICAL LANDMARK SITES:

 1.  RALLS COUNTY COURT HOUSE:  (Oldest active Courthouse west of the Mississippi River, built in 1858)              

 2.  ILASCO: (A large settlement of central and southern European immigrants were recruited to        work the Atlas Cement Co. there. Cement made here was used to build the Panama Canal and       many of other large projects through out the United States.

3.  ST. PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH: (Parish founded 1828, present church dedicated 1860) 

3.  ST. PETERS/BRUSH CREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH; (first church built 1846, present 1862.       Father Augustine Tolton first Black Catholic Priest born near and baptized at this church)

4.  GARTH MANSION: (Built ca. 1871)