Nevada High School - Nevamo Yearbook (Nevada, MO)

Page 8 text:

ff A f fY J J fl' 9 N X f- F '-- - ---Q .1,'3!ffP- is ,X il' I ,X 1 fc U X ' ef Ji IXSN 5' ',f'.-5 ft ED, ,T-J! h Qi 6 X .MF K. -fi -- i a! I of r rs Q- , E.-srfzif f ' if X If 0 -1: .1 E, ,M 1 I 'sf X my 1 - . ,,N,..-- Q ' ,Q , 'yd 4 1 6 ,f s. y X,-A3 fr , f , , ll A I . VF. f . ,xg-T'-:X j. lyk 4 'f ' M 'semi Qs XS f 1 'X Q Y I 'A ' '.1'j Y i ' f -7 f ZJQN - , A ig! so '. , 'rf 133 -. f . w e-1 Q - zi- -X N 1 71' fi fe ' ,N . i xi' . -vi ff N Y A- ' is X ,X X '. ff, 'Y' ss , - f 1 W AT THE CLOSE OF. THE CIVIL WAR, there were not - Gi A' over 100 families left in Vernon County. Nevada was a CX! f I ' 74 mass of fire-blackened ruins. About ten or twelve families By the winter of 1861, the inhabitants of Nevada were in much danger. Many people became fearful lest the Federal troops from Ft. Scott or the bushwackers from Cedar County might bum the town. Accordingly, COLO- NEL HUNTER detached himself from Price's Army and came back to Nevada to get the COUNTY RECORDS and take them back to the Confederate Army for safekeeping. Colonel Hunter and a half-dozen brave men from Monte- vallo rode into Nevada and took all the books, records, and papers they could find pertaining to public business. These were loaded into a wagon and Colonel Hunter drove rapidly away with them. The records had a re- markable experience. Hunter took them to Springfield. When Price fell back into Arkansas, the Vernon County records went with him. After a year or two, the Confed- erates had to abandon these records, then they fell into the hands of the Kansas regiment of the Federal Army. Since the hatred of the Kansans for the people of Vernon County was so great, it was naturally supposed that the Kansas people would have burned them immediately. This was, however, not the case, The Federals took the best of care of the records. They placed them in strong boxes and the records of Vernon County passed from their place of capture in the deep South from post to post until they finally came to Ft. Scott. Here they were kept until the close of the war when they were returned to Vernon County with the LOSS OF ONE DEED RECORD BOOK. The year 1863 was one of the saddest in the history of Nevada. There were only a few families who remained in the town. Most of the men were gone, and the women and children lived in fear of the frequent raids by the Federal troops from Ft. Scott or from Cedar County. Nevada was called the UBUSHWACKERS' CAPITAL, and the Federal troops were determined to get rid of this enemy center. Federal troops were issued ORDER NO. 11 to search the country side for bushwackers, and to burn the city in an attempt to destroy the hideouts. The soldiers gave the occupants of the houses only 20 minutes to leave their homes. By the time they had fin- ished burning the houses, only a few buildings remained in all of Nevada. Nevada City was only an ash heap. In all, about 75 houses were burned. The court house, the county buildings, and the stores were destroyed. About a dozen small houses belonging to MR. AUSTIN and MR. MOORE were saved. These houses were spared because Mr. Austin and Mr. Moore promised to take the bodies of two militiamen back to their families in Cedar County. Egfese two men had been killed in Nevada three days ore. ...B- were scattered over the town. Supplies had to be hauled from Ft. Scott as there was not a single store in the entire county. But soon families began to come back to their land. Soldiers returned from the warg they built new homes. Many new settlers came also to make their homes in Vernon County. Schools and churches were established. f X X 5 fy I - V ,fx X ' fi? e, 45,1 1 r A C' at - . - 2 wtf' 5 wwf-1 551 ,I 3 'D' ' IHA 4 f' M -ff fi . -M .-e-- .. if X .2 fi X .gzs-i 1,73 ' a.-. i X. p An interesting and important event of the year 1866 was the establishment of the NEVADA CITY TIMES, the first newspaper in the county, whose first issue ap-N peared on June 16th. The first editor and proprietor of the paper was Mr. R. C. Brown. A matter of general in- terest which caused much excitement at this time was the importation of vast herds of Texas cattle into south- western Missouri where fine grazing was abundant. Bring- ing with them a contagious disease they passed it on to native cattle. The seriousness of the situation led to the enactment of stringent laws on the subject by the legis- lature. It became necessary to station armed men on bor- ders who turned back the proscribed cattle, only the commissioners' wise mastery of the situation preventing actual bloodshed. Another matter of importance was the INCORPORATION OF NEVADA CITY, for it brought about the removal of the word City from the title of our town. Ever since that time, it has been called Nevada.

Page 7 text:

In the year 1825 the United States government bought .ll the land in Vernon County from the Osage Indians. 'or the land the United States agreed to pay the Indians -even thousand dollars a year for twenty years. The 'overlunent was to give the Indians some horses, cows, ogs, and tools to use in farming. The Indians also were 'rovided with a blacksmith. The government built each f the four chiefs of the tribe a house. The Indians had leave their homes in Vernon County and go into ansas. They sorrowfully left the burial grounds of their cestors and the land they loved in search of new homes. ' THE FIRST ACTUAL SETTLEMENT of Vernon Coun- by white men with the intention of making this their e was established in 1829 by Jesse, Moses, and Allen mmers, who came here from Kentucky. They had in- nded to settle at Harmony Mission, but decided not to ate there because they had found other tillable lands the Osage. Then, in 1837, BALLTOWN was established, though it had been called at first Austin's Mill. It was Balltown that the first postoffice in Vernon County 'as located. Balltown was at one time a place of much uportance and was well-known throughout the county. was I 3-fn ' MI L 5 ' :R 1 I' av E yxlyx I .1 W, x Q.. 4 X Cftg' 5 Q WN 5 Q. 55 ' . . X 9 '- xi But the Indians' happiness in Kansas was short-lived. leir crops did not grow well and soon they did not have ough foodg their blacksmith and teacher soon left. The vernment forgot to pay them the money it had promised. 1838 the Indians decided that since the Great White Lther had forgotten his promises, they would go back their old homes in Vernon County. Because they were lngry, they killed a steer and four or five hogs belonging wthe white settlers at Balltown. In a fight which followed, le white man and several Indians were killed. News of e battle was so greatly exaggerated that the Governor lled out 800 militiamen, who proved a greater nuisance an the Indians had. This made the government recogruze E failure to live up to its agreements. Then the Indians Egan to receive payment and other considerations listed the treaty. All the Osage Indians were forcibly remoyed the reservations in Kansas. Though they often. visited eir old homes, the Indians never again tried to fight the hite settlers. Before 1854 Vernon County was a part of Bates County id Cass County. The settlers appealed to COLONEL ILES VERNON, a Virginian who had moved to Missouri, .king Colonel Vernon to help them secure a county of eir own. In 1855, after working four years, he succeeded having the bill passed. Because he had worked for the Lssage of the bill, the settlers honored him by naming e new county Vernon. The bill reads in part: . . . the id new county is hereby named Vernon, in honor of iles Vernon, of Laclede County. 'ft-.4 J' Zr QX 1 r .X f 1 .L m. .. 40 V 6 ?!R'f,-A ,I uk' nf' ' ,lv 1,7 a ' . . ,, , 4-C ,.,.. -- s - 1 cf K .g f R x X , . I. xx X 'l - l 7. Y I. X NN 1. . . X , . 4 w! pf- F in . I 1 1 ,,. ... ,f If L, 'V' . ' 1 Q Q :iff 'xx It , 'W I Q The next problem which faced the settlers was that of building a town in the center of the county. For the sum of S250 the land was purchased, and the city of Nevada was carefully laid out. The next thing which faced the people was the selection of a name for the new county seat. Some one suggested the name of FAIRVIEW. Because the town had many fair views, this name seemed agreeable to all of the men on the committee. But the county clerk, Colonel Hunter, rushed into the meeting and pointed out that it would be a mistake to name the county seat Fair- view because there was already a town of that name in Missouri. Then, telling the men of his trip to California, he pointed out to them that a town which he had liked in California was one called NEVADA CITY. So the name of Nevada City was officially selected. The town began to grow, and by the time the Civil War broke out in 1861, the population of Nevada City had grown to 450. A t i'S--.f-' HOTEL lil Q- ' F' -in .f Wne vx g-fir 'J E E-5.1 x.: H-Nh A 9 I --s-an f- w- ag? AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE CIVIL WAR most of the people in Vernon County were in sympathy with the CONFEDERATE CAUSE. The men soon joined the south- ern army, and the women and children were left at home to carry on as best they could. Although they were in sympathy with the Southern forces, they were situated between two strong Northern supporters. Ft. Scott was the headquarters for many Northern troops, and Cedar County was also a stronghold for the North. ..7-

Page 9 text:

In 1870, the M. K. and T. RAILROAD reached Vernon Dounty, and in October of that year the first locomotive same puffing into Nevada. Stage lines to Clinton and Ft. Scott had been the chief means of travel in and out of the eommunity. Nevada grew faster. Deerfield, Moundville, md Montevallo were rebuilt, and Walker was laid out as L new village. The Missouri Pacific Railroad was com- reted in 1882. This caused the new villages of Sheldon, rthur, New Metz, and Milo. Richards also owes its be- STATE HOSPITAL NO. 3 is located in Vernon County one mile north of the city of Nevada, on 520 acres of land donated by the citizens of Nevada, for the purpose of building this institution. This act was created by the Thirty-third General Assembly and approved March 19, 1885. The first patient was admitted October 17, 1887. Since that time, the institution has grown to be a small city within itself. :inning to the coming of a branch Missouri Pacific road. ' By 1880, the population of Nevada had reached 2000. ,....,, QALLTOWN, once as large as Nevada, was missed by the nm . . - -s- ' ailroads and failed to grow. The cemetery and a few xx ,L 3 if nouses now are all that mark one of the earliest settle- fe , ,V ' '- pents in Vernon County. 2 Q T A 5,3 .A U g 5 A:- Q ,,,,.,, . -i 6 Q 1 A - hifi? ,El r fx FE 'A Q: if 64f44f4 ,L 'full' - A.: . '-.,. l '. ' K -7, ' A 4 n., 1 ' 10- A ,B MH Q ... lq. s ' R-V Y . 3 I ' , ' ,F 1 QHL -. A r 1f 5-I F I' rl E B A -ao- -F -- .. 21 -5 f .- F 1,151 Q: 1 pm r - -- - 'I :: wi f . . -- ' cfilifif Es :- 'P f 'Q' '. 'A Ti' -asia. . N Nr - n 'f,- ' Jus wig ,:0..01.1 2.-Fa.-an In -.53 gg, J., nl . I.. nl-.4r-Hllzvx 97' 'J , v- x'.,....,,,.,-.-.f ' In 1884 five charming young ladies came to town. They 'r:' ---1,-:', ,,,,.!1'! were the Misses Dora, Kate, Mary, Rose, and Virginia to .-... Elottey. They came to start a boarding school for girls. WN , iss Virginia Cottey, later Mrs. V. A. C. Stockard, had ..,.,,.. ome earlier to find a location. Escorted by Mr. Moore, na xx he was shown several possible locations. She chose a S X ornfield west of the town where the first building was X oon erected. It was finished in time to start school in the all of 1884. Mrs. Stockard's four sisters came to teach ,n the school and they had 28 pupils that first year. Mrs. 'tockard was President of the school for many years. any buildings and improvements have been added and OTTEY COLLEGE, now owned by the P. E. O. sister- ood, is a fully accredited Junior College for girls. It is own not only throughout the United States, but also in ther countries. iii: VII, I 9. Am .51 - YL . tm at 11 'f,?- ski? Y. A' K: i n it 4 ll 1 I I Y ,- The GAY NINETIES in Nevada were all the name im- plies. The town was growing. New business houses as well as many beautiful home were built. There were many gay parties and socials. An Opera House was located above the Moore's store. One well remembered entertainment was the Graves Brothers' quartet consisting of Deck and Boyd Graves, D. B. Bowman, and A. J. Ayers. Even the bicycle built for two had its day with the gay young gentle- men and ladies of the 1890's. If if ,W L 1 ff? 0 I -fa. -H xllul-5 'x I '-La., i ,Z - ........g Y M Y ,F 1 tt! 7g ali, S+' Southwest of Nevada about three miles is located 4 -Y 'C I 1 ' f 1 1. Q 1' CAMP CLARK, a United States Military Reservation of ' ,J Y Ah -1 Y' 1,200 acres, which is used as a training point for the L,--. A 1 A 11-L LW fx Missouri National Guard. It was started in 1908. H 3 ' F ' K 'JA ' Vernon County borders on the Kansas state line on 9- -' 15? 05.131 p S. . . ., f ug, ggz-. -Q4 -- 1 A . the west. We are a bit of the great Middle West and we x , - if C - ' SWE I like it. We like it so much we want to keep it, to make . 3 ' -1 5-'T'- 'f!:,,,. A , it a still better place to live. We like it so much we are A - M 5-45, ig' sending our young men to far lands to help the other ' ' democracies of the world to keep their homes free. We do not fight to win more land but to keep our own, the Heart of America. ,- f?q,3 e - LN i-551 W J ' W A S3 ff 'si ...9..