Essex
Essex, Missouri about 1910
A town in the northern part of Elk Township. The town was laid out in 1873 when the Cairo, Arkansas, and Texas railroad was built, by a Mr. Essex, an engineer of the railroad, and the town was named for him. A post office was established in 1876.
Made by American History Students (Mr. Arnold's Class)
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Looking west down N. Main St. Street to the right is Cypress (Photo Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett).
R. A. Davidson Drug Store
-On July 18, 1910, the cash register of the R. A. Davidson was robbed by breaking the front door lock (Bloomfield Vindicator, July 22, 1910).
-September of 1913, The Missionary Baptist members rented the hall above the drug store and moved their Sunday school there (Bloomfield Vindicator, September 13, 1913).
-September of 1913, The Missionary Baptist members rented the hall above the drug store and moved their Sunday school there (Bloomfield Vindicator, September 13, 1913).
Essex Hotel (Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett)
In 1926 and in 1928, the proprietor of the Essex Hotel was Henry Corlew (Bloomfield Vindicator, May 4, 1928). In 1927 Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Dillard operated the hotel. Corlew was later the town marshal of Essex and in 1943 he accidentally shot eighteen year old Earl Miller while escorting him to the jail. Miller was arrested for riding his horse up and down the sidewalks and the steps of the churches (Dexter Statesman, February 12, 1943).
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L. D. Black Store on N. Main (Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett)
L. D. Black Store, N. Main St. (Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett)
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The Farmers Bank of Essex closed October 30, 1931 due to the Great Depression.
1920 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Essex, Missouri (Missouri State Archives)
Essex News
Attempted Murder
May 26, 1881 - "W. T. Hoffman, who attempted to kill O.B. Miller at Essex, Stoddard County, and fled to Texas, has been arrested and brought back for trial." (Iron County Register)
July 6, 1881 - "Last Saturday Officers Kinnear and Mahanny arrested a negro on Ohio levee for carrying concealed weapons. They lodged him in jail, intending to try him for the offense on Monday. But with Monday also came the information that the negro was W. T. Huffman, who escaped on Saturday morning from Essex, Stoddard county, Mo. where he was under bond awaiting trial for murder. Coroner J. H. Hambleton, of Stoddard county and J. A. Collins, Huffman's bondman, arrived here yesterday and took the negro to Bloomfield with them after having left, with our officers, two hundred dollars, which was the reward offered for his capture. Huffman was out on bond, but his hondman becoming dissatisfied the sheriff of the county attempted to arrest him. A fight ensued which resulted in the negro's escape to this city over the Iron Mountain railroad." (The Daily Cairo Bulletin, July 6, 1881)
May 26, 1881 - "W. T. Hoffman, who attempted to kill O.B. Miller at Essex, Stoddard County, and fled to Texas, has been arrested and brought back for trial." (Iron County Register)
July 6, 1881 - "Last Saturday Officers Kinnear and Mahanny arrested a negro on Ohio levee for carrying concealed weapons. They lodged him in jail, intending to try him for the offense on Monday. But with Monday also came the information that the negro was W. T. Huffman, who escaped on Saturday morning from Essex, Stoddard county, Mo. where he was under bond awaiting trial for murder. Coroner J. H. Hambleton, of Stoddard county and J. A. Collins, Huffman's bondman, arrived here yesterday and took the negro to Bloomfield with them after having left, with our officers, two hundred dollars, which was the reward offered for his capture. Huffman was out on bond, but his hondman becoming dissatisfied the sheriff of the county attempted to arrest him. A fight ensued which resulted in the negro's escape to this city over the Iron Mountain railroad." (The Daily Cairo Bulletin, July 6, 1881)
Col. Solomon G. Kitchen commanded the 7th Missouri Cavalry, CSA. After the war he became an influential political leader.
Murder
February 28, 1882 - Col. Solomon G. Kitchen, picked up Thomas Dixon (sometimes spelled Dickson) at Essex for a murder it was believed he committed two years prior, two miles south of Essex. Dixon worked for a man that farmed south of town and was working with him to dig a trench in order to sink a log into it in order to be able to farm the ground on that spot. Dixon struck the man with an ax and buried him under the log. Dixon stole three horses, a wagon, and $400 (The Rock Island Argus, February 28, 1882). On May 2, 1884, Thomas Dixon was hanged in Bloomfield, Missouri in front of 4,000 spectators for the murder of James McNab. During his brief speech just before he was to be hanged, he professed his innocence (Sacramento Daily-Union, May 3, 1884).
Killed at a Dance
March 12, 1898 - "Sam Rodgers, a half-breed Indian, was shot and instantly killed by Henry Spittorff in a row at a dance at the latter's home, three miles southeast of Essex, Stoddard county." (The Cape Girardeau Democrat March 12, 1898)
March 12, 1898 - "Sam Rodgers, a half-breed Indian, was shot and instantly killed by Henry Spittorff in a row at a dance at the latter's home, three miles southeast of Essex, Stoddard county." (The Cape Girardeau Democrat March 12, 1898)
Killed on the side of the Road
June 7, 1935 - The body of a thirty-six year old Grey Ridge man, Elzy Knight was found about a mile and a half west of Buffington. Stoddard County officers believed Knight had been "clubbed" in the head and drug to the ditch on the side of the road and submerged, then he was placed back on the highway to make it appear that he had been hit by vehicle. He was known to carry large sums of money in his billfold and only $1.10 was found on him at the time. Police arrested three people on suspicion in the crime, Millard Owens, twenty-eight, an unemployed laborer, and Blackie Corey, about thirty, a day laborer at Sikeston, and Claude Comstock, a forty-three year old employee of International Shoe in Sikeston.
June 7, 1935 - The body of a thirty-six year old Grey Ridge man, Elzy Knight was found about a mile and a half west of Buffington. Stoddard County officers believed Knight had been "clubbed" in the head and drug to the ditch on the side of the road and submerged, then he was placed back on the highway to make it appear that he had been hit by vehicle. He was known to carry large sums of money in his billfold and only $1.10 was found on him at the time. Police arrested three people on suspicion in the crime, Millard Owens, twenty-eight, an unemployed laborer, and Blackie Corey, about thirty, a day laborer at Sikeston, and Claude Comstock, a forty-three year old employee of International Shoe in Sikeston.
The First Airplane in Stoddard County
The first airplane owned in Stoddard County was bought by Essex men in 1919. Frank McMullin, Ran Landley, Marvin Wyatt, James Faulkner, Leonard McMullin, Jack Langley, Riley Willis, Leo Reed, D. W. Fogle, and Ottie Miles. They purchased it in Montgomery, Alabama and it was to be used for commercial and pleasure purposes (Bloomfield Vindicator, October 31, 1919).
Essex Baptist Church (Arnold Collection)
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Unidentified Church in Essex (Photo Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett)
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Located on Wamble Curve, south of Essex on Hwy 114. Destroyed by a tornado around 1910 (Arnold Collection).
Rural School near Essex, Mo (Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett)
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Essex Girls Basketball Team abt 1935
(Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett) |
Large home in Essex (Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett)
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Large home in Essex (Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett)
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Oxen near Essex, Missouri (Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett)
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Sawmill Near Essex, Mo (Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett)
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Recently dredged ditches near Essex, Mo (Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett)
Essex Baseball Players (Courtesy of Caleb Bartlett)
Frisco
A small settlement in the northern part of Elk Township. A post office was established in 1896 in this community locally known as Pinhook, because of a fancied resemblance of the ridge to a pinhook used by the loggers. This place is not on the Frisco Railroad, but Judge Tucker says it was so designated because the people of the community hoped to induce the railroad officials to build a track through the community.
(Arnold Collection)
Frisco Main Street
(Arnold Collection)
Located one half mile south of Frisco (Arnold Collection).
Venson
A small community located south of Frisco in western Elk Township, named after John Venson, a local land owner and prominent citizen there.
Fields' Store (Arnold Collection)