St. Francois County, Missouri

New! 64-page Booklet

Early days in St. Francois County, MO, are recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this booklet, reprinted from excerpts from three rare books: Goodspeed's 1888: History of Southeast Missouri, The State of Missouri (1904), and Missouri, a Guide to the "Show Me" State, a 1930s WPA project. The 64-page spiral bound booklet, is printed on 6.5" x 11" paper. A vinyl sheet protects the front cover. 

The 1888 history covers the early development of this area and includes bios of prominent citizens. The 1904 book, written in connection with the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, gives an overview of the county at that date. The WPA excerpts take a look at the area from a 1939 vantage point, including interesting historical notes, especially as they relate to sightseeing possibilities.

Topics covered include: Mining and mineral resources -- Mine a la Platte or the Doggett Mine, Valle Mines, Chadburn Mine, and others; Fires; Granite quarries; Iron Mountain and Pilot Knob; Formation of the county and names of early officials; Courts and trials; Lawyers; Farmington -- businesses, newspapers, schools, lodges; Other towns -- Bonne Terre, Bismarck, etc., and other bits of history and trivia.

Besides the names mentioned in the first part of the booklet, there are biographies of many county residents of yesteryear. Most are fairly lengthy, and often include ancestors, previous residences, children, in-laws, affiliations, war records, and business activities. In the course of this they often shed light on the early businesses, professions and institutions in the county. The biographies include:  James A. Abernathy, Lawson Alexander, John C. Alexander, John S. Allen, Andrew Anderson, William H. Andrews, Samuel L. Asbury, Francis AuBuchon, Basile AuBuchon, Ferd. AuBuchon, Judge Peter AuBuchon, Adrian AuBuchon, Carico J. Barnhouse, William S. Barry, I.G. Beal, Joseph E. Blankenship, W.P. Blanks, A.D. Boss, Jacob Boyer, John L. Bradley, William H. Bryan, John T. burks, Edward Byington, Eliza A. Carleton, William Carter, Milton P. Cayce, Ellis P. Cayce, Judge Caleb P. Clark, W.H. Colman, W.H.C. Conover, Alvin B. Corwin, Charles H. Covington, Rees Bowen Cunningham, Thomas T. Dalton, Julius J. David,  Walter Scott Dent, Dr. Daniel Dunklin, Frederick Ebrecht, Jesse R.F. Edwards, Jesse M. Elvins (pix), Dr. Lloyd Ferguson, James Ferguson, John F. Flowers, Theodore D. Fisher, Willis E. Fite, Carl Gaebe, the Giessing family,  Peter Giessing, George J. Goeltz, James Gordon, Selim Grandjean, Fayette P. Graves (pix), George W. Grover, Mrs. Rachel Gruner, Thomas H. Haile, Samuel G. Haile, Adam Halter, W.D. Hamilton, Andrew K. Harris, M.F. Harris, George O. Harris, John Hartshorn, Dr. Joseph L. Haw, Hawkins Family, Rufus J. Hawn, Jacob Helber, Simeon J. Hensley, F.H. Herbst, Henry Herman, Lewis B. Hibbits, John D. Highley, Judge John W. Highley, Dr. Francis E. Hinch, William J. Hobbs, Joseph W. Haefner, Lewis Hopkins, Jeremiah Hopkins, Jasper Horn, John N. Horn (pix), George W. Horn, Dr. A.J.  Horn, William Hunt, Robert M. Hunter, W.S. Irvin, Eck. Irving, John Isenman, Francis Janis, John M. Johnson, Nathan Johnson, Frederick A. Kain, Dr. Abraham W. Keith, John M. Ketchum, J.M. Kirkpatrick, Henry Kollmeyer, William L. Lambeth, Reinhard Lang, Thomas Lang, Placide de Lassus, Henry Lawrence, Thomas H.G. Lester, Gen. James R. McCormick, Henry C. McGahan, Judge Allen C. McHenry, Patrick McMahon, George W. Mahn (pix), Charles T. Manter, Thomas B. Marks, Searing Marsh, Robert Carter Martin, Mrs. Lucinda A. Matkin, John W. Merryman, George A. Miller, William Milne, Frank Antoine Mullermann, Franklin Murphy, Peter W. Murphy, Zebulun Murphy, Adam Neidert, William C. Newby, William H. Norwine, Dr. J.J. Norwine, John F. O'Bannon, C.B. Parsons, L.K. Peers, George A. Pierce, William C. Pigg, John A. Pigg, T.J. Pigg, Henry R. Pigg, Thomas P. Pigg, Thomas Porter, Dr. Charles P. Poston, Jesse R. Pratt, Jules Pratte,  Esau Presnell, Joseph Prichard, Isaac A. Raney, Willard B. Rariden, William E. Rigsbee, Adam Rosenstengel, Morris Rosenthal, Charles W. Ross, John L. Rouggly, Dr. Alfred A. Rudy, Robert E. Rudy, John Schaefer, Henry Schlie, Samuel T. Schneider, Thomas J. Sebastian, Joshua Sebaugh, William M. Settle, Gustave Setz, Edmund T. Shaw, T.J. Simms, Hezekiah Sleeth, J.M. Smith, Stephen Smith, Thomas H. Stam, William R. Taylor, Frederick I. Tetley, Stephen Thomas, Lucien A. Thomure (pix), Felix J. Thomure, R.V. Tillman, Dr. William L. Tolman, T.T. Tullock, Laken Dubert Walker, John Weimer, Isaac Welborn, Samuel P. Welborn, Prof. James U. White, George W. Wigger, James B. Wilde, William Carroll Williams, Dr. George W. Williams, Ambers Williams, Rev. A.W. Wilson, Edward G. Wolf, Rev. John Wood, William H. Young, J. Robert Young, and John Zolman.  

Wouldn't this make a unique gift?