| CYCLONES -- In 1872 a terrible and fatal wind storm swept through
the county from the
northwest to the southeast. It entered the county at or near Syracuse and passed southeast near Barnett. At this point the tracks of this and the storm of 1880 crossed. In the storm of 1872 Mr. Blosser and child were killed outright and his wife was seriously wounded and all the other members of the family were severely hurt. Avery Fischer and family were all injured; and another Mrs. Blosser badly wounded. Mr. Brander and family were also wounded. The houses of these families were wrecked and considerable property destroyed. April 18, 1880, what is supposed to have been the great Marshfield cyclone struck this county with terrible effect. About half-past 5 o’clock Sunday afternoon was the hour of its appearance in the southwest part of the county. It could be tracked first about two miles south of the Osage river. If it was the Marshfield storm it had jumped a long distance to that point and passing up a ravine rose again and crossed the river and struck the earth near Mill Creek, in this county, nearly at the range line between 18 and 19, and going in a northeast direction to Amos Richards and killed one child outright and badly wounded another; thence to Leon Meyers, wounded Mrs. Meyers and destroyed the house, then to John Rastofers. the house was carried away to the floor, and the people blown two hundred yards, but no one badly hurt. At Hugh Combs’ the mother and children crawled beneath the house floor, and here, too, the house was torn to fragments and carried away except the floor; then the storm struck a house occupied by a man named Polly. Two girls were near the house which was destroyed; Michael H. Stover’s house was also destroyed and the logs piled about the family, who huddled in the middle of the room, and fastened them in, but hurt no one. Mr. Stover described the logs as gently floating in the air about him, and says he sat in his chair and pushed many of them into positions when they settled. Madole’s large family of small children were at home alone. In their fright they ran under the bed. The house and contents were destroyed, everything except the bed and children, none of whom were injured. Reuben Routen was killed. John Hunter’s house was destroyed, and his two sons, Shores P. and Daniel, killed -- one outright and the other lingered in great agony until the following Friday. Barnett lay exactly in the destroyer’s path, and was totally destroyed, the merchants A.Y. Campbell, Harry MdKinley, northeast of Barnett, and Mrs. C. Green and two children being killed, and nearly every other person in the place wounded. At what was known as the coal mine Hiram Peterhoff had his leg broken. A blacksmith named McLean was wounded, torn and bruised almost out of human shape, but he recovered. One man had reached the gatepost within a few feet of his door, and was found dead, clinging to the post. The force had whipped him about and broken nearly all his bones. Some ten or Twelve of the wounded had been carried to Dr. Hargett’s, whose house was just outside of the storm line, where they were attended and cared for. The charity of the good people of the county was appealed to in this calamity, and not in vain. STREET FAIRS -- For many years there has been a growing up here in this county a demand for a county fair but there has not yet developed enough demand to bring the enterprise about. But during the last two years, 1905 and 1906 we had a street and a county fair conducted in the city of Versailles which was pronounced by the thousands which attended it as good as many strictly county fairs. These two street fairs were gotten up and managed by the same parties. That is there were about a dozen of the young enterprising business men who formed a committee to bring the fair to a successful point and they called to their assistance such men and women as would give them the necessary aid. These young men |
| backed the enterprise with their money and time, and every man, woman
and child in the county were invited
to take part in the way of bringing exhibits and contesting for a prize. Premium money was made up each year amounting to over $500 and premiums from 25 cents up to $20 were offered on the various articles to be exhibited. The result each year was exceedingly satisfactory to all. The enterprise brought thousands of our countrymen together for a week’s good time as the fair held a whole week. Some days during the fair it was estimated that 6,000 people were present. Large crowds attended each day. The whole fair was on the streets, around the square. The court house was made the depositary for all, or most all, of the farmers’ products and carloads of such exhibits were made. All manner of farm and garden and orchard produce was exhibited. All manner of poultry was shown, all kinds of stock, breeding and otherwise, and great interest was manifested. Among the various departments of the street fair was Art Hall which contained the exhibits made by the ladies of the city and county. All manner of needle work, fancy and otherwise, was exhibited. Hundreds of quilts, laces, embroideries, brick-a-brack, shirt waists, handkerchiefs, and in fact all manner of ladies’ work was exhibited with fine and pleasing effect. This was one of the most attractive features and was said by many competent judges to be better than was seen at county fairs, and much of it was as good as is shown at state fairs. This department was presided over by six as competent ladies as could be found in the country. They were: Mrs. J.A. Petty, Mrs. H.K. Enloe, and Mrs. Wm. Well, Mrs. P.H. Antweiler, Mrs. George A. Krauss and Miss Sallie G. French. Their management was complete and satisfactory in every respect. No preparations are being made for a fair of this character this year (1907). It is a costly undertaking and the crop outlook here in June is not promising. The fruit crop will be exceedingly short this year and the general outlook for a year of prosperity is not encouraging and there will be likely to be no street fair. But conditions are ripening for a real county fair which will likely develop into a reality before many more years go by. Nothing has done more to stimulate good stock breeding, good poultry breeding and to stimulate general productiveness than these two street fairs have done. Men are taking much more interest in these things because by bringing their productions together and comparing |
| them better results are brought about and everybody is stimulated.
Morgan county is rapidly coming out of
the scrub stock business and nothing but the best breed animals are now cared for. These fairs have added more zeal to the productiveness of Morgan county than any other one thing. Ten years ago there were very few lodges in Morgan county except
the Masons, Odd Fellows and
ODD FELLOWS --There is only one Odd Fellows’ lodge in Morgan
County at the present time.
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| It has been organized many years and is composed of many of the leading
citizens f the town and
community. Dr. E.P. Yarnell is the master; J.W. Dromgold is senior warden; Dr. Wm. Well is junior warden; John Holloway is treasurer and Wray Witten is secretary. There are about 70 members, among whom are A.L. Ross, J.S. Thruston, James McNair, B.S. Barnett, J.A. Livesay, I.M. Schannep, George A. Brown, George Decker, Geo. P. Clark, W.S. Gibbs, Dr. P.G. Woods, A. Popper, J.M. Clifton, D.P. Hardy, M. Joachimi, W.W. Moore, C.W. Biersach, W.P. Tooley, James Enloe, F.C. Thorpe. The lodge meets the first Saturday night in each month. The lodge is in good working order. There is a Masonic lodge at Glensted which has a fairly good membership and is in good working order. IMPROVED ORDER OF RED MEN -- This is a new secret society
in Versailles. It was
THE M.W.A. -- There is a lodge of Modern Woodmen of America
in Versailles; one at Stover; one
WOODMEN OF THE WORLD -- There is a Woodmen of the World
camp in Versailles. It was
K. OF P. LODGE -- There is a Knights of Pythias lodge in
Versailles and this is the only one in the
Warren Todd is prelate; James P. Hunter, master of finance; U.G. Winget,
master of exhequer; I.M.
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