Progress Notes

As the fall elections approach and we consider the various candidates for office locally, I sometimes like to compare the present candidates to those of the past.  Certainly, the issues are different now, but the personalities and character attributes desired by the public for the various offices remain fairly similar.  Regarding the office of State Representative, we have been blessed in the past by many very qualified and capable officeholders. One man, in particular, Carrol J. McCubbin, has been of interest to me, especially since we see him every year attending the annual Miller County Republican Party meeting in Tuscumbia, even though he now is 93 years old (photo 01).

01 Carrol McCubbin

I called Carrol on the phone a while back inquiring as to whether I could come over and interview him for this week’s edition of Progress Notes. Carrol met me at the door and took me back to his office (photo 02).

02 Carrol McCubbin in his Study

Carrol has significantly reduced visual acuity from macular degeneration but that doesn’t stop him from using a computer for his email and Internet activities. His son in law hooked the computer up to a wide screen TV monitor so that Carrol can communicate with all his friends around the state about politics and with family and friends as well. I was delighted to pull up our Miller County Museum website for his review!

Before serving as a state legislator, Carrol was an important educator in Miller County. Son of Oscar McCubbin and grandson of Zachary McCubbin (photo 03), Carrol was born on the Edmond Thornsberry farm between Ulman and Brumley on September 1,1915.

03 Zacharia and Liza McCubbin

Here is an early photo of Carrol as a young boy (photo 04):

04 Carrol McCubbin - Age 4

Graduated from Brumley High School in 1933, Carrol was valedictorian of his class of fifteen students. He entered College at Warrensburg but took seven years to get his degree because he had to return home every year to help work the farm at harvest time due to the illness of his father. He did get his certificate to teach from C.D. Snodgrass, County Superintendent of Schools, and he taught at Gott school. Carrol eventually was graduated from the College at Warrensburg with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Education. He was superintendent at Brumley High School for a short time in 1943, and then in March of 1943, Carrol volunteered for the U.S. Navy. He was sent to Harvard University for a short time and then went overseas. He saw action in the invasion of the Philippines and Borneo. After the war he had duties in Korea, China and Japan and on discharge maintained a reserve status in the U.S. Navy (photo 05).

05 In the Phillipines - 1944-46

In 1946, Carrol returned home and resumed the position of superintendent at Brumley High School for two more years. Then he sought further education receiving a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Missouri in 1954 and thereafter performed additional graduate work beyond the Master’s Degree from that institution, having earned a total of 185 college hours.

In 1950, Carrol was elected Superintendent of Schools in Miller County, replacing C.D. Snodgrass, who had held the position for many years.

(C.D.Snodgrass was discussed on this page a few months ago as part of a history of some of the important educators of Miller County. You can find that narrative at this URL on our own website: http://www.millercountymuseum.org/080630.html
Scroll half way or more down the page to find the paragraphs about C.D. Snodgrass)

During his time as County School Superintendent Carrol supervised the consolidation of all the nearly 100 one room schools in Miller County except for six. This process was complicated and not always easily accomplished but Carrol’s skills of leadership and educational training facilitated the project’s successful completion by the early 1950’s.  You can read more about the Miller County School history on our own website at this URL:

http://www.millercountymuseum.org/schools.html

Carrol was elected by Miller County citizens in 1965 to the office of State Representative, a position he held until 1982.  He came into office at the same time as Governor Warren Hearnes and held the office longer than anyone before or since. State Representatives before him were Lucian Mace and Fred Spearman. After him were Rex Wyrick, Donald Steen and current Representative, Rodney Schad. Here is a photo of Carrol about the time he was elected to the position of State Representative (photo 06) and here is a photo of the framed picture of the House chamber which hangs on the wall in Carrol’s home office (photo 07):

06 Carrol McCubbin

07 House of Representatives Chamber

He feels the most important legislation he sponsored and witnessed passed into law was:

1. The law requiring a license to drive a motorcycle and the wearing of helmets while riding motorcycles.

2. Legislation establishing the medical definition of death.

3. Revision of laws concerning the distribution of state moneys for schools in order to allow more to be distributed to areas where assessed values were low causing reduced funding of local schools.

Here is a photo of Carrol witnessing Governor Warren Hearnes signing the helmet law (photo 08).

08 Signing Motorcycle Helmet Bill with Gov. Hearnes

Carrol told me that living close to the Lake of the Ozarks, he saw more than one tragic motorcycle accident on the “strip” involving head injuries from motorcycle accidents. What particularly disturbed him was the unsupervised renting of motorcycles to students from all parts of the Midwest who visited the Lake area on their Senior Trip. Some of these students never even had ridden a motorcycle before. While he certainly was a believer in a “limited government” conservative approach to legislation, he thought the severe injuries incurred by head injuries not only was a tragedy for the victims, but also ended up costing the taxpayers a great deal of money due to the very high cost of hospitalization and rehabilitation of this type of injury.

The bill passed establishing the definition of death was written by a committee that Carrol chaired in the House of Representatives. Carrol told me the bill was difficult to write but after many hearings with medical professionals the standards were written and accepted by the State House and Senate and signed into law by Governor Hearnes.

Carrol was instrumental in revision of laws concerning the distribution of state moneys to schools in order to allow more to be distributed to areas where assessed values were low which had caused reduced funding of rural schools. The inequities in funding of schools due to variations in assessed property values was especially an issue with Carrol since many of our Miller County schools were located in rural farmland regions where assessed values were comparably very low compared to suburban schools.

While in office Carrol receive several awards of recognition of some of his achievements. One was from the Department of Education recognizing his work with Vocational Education (photo 09).

09 Certificate of Recognition

Another award was from the Thomas Jefferson Library system (photo 10).

10 Thomas Jefferson Library Award

The House Republican Caucus gave him a very beautiful plaque recognizing his eighteen years of service representing representing our local congressional district in Jefferson City (photo 11). (I apologize that I couldn’t get rid of the light flash in some of the photos).

11 House Recognition Award

Here is a group photo taken a number of years ago of Carrol’s children:  Twyla, Beth, Greg, Becky, Brenda and granddaughter Stephanie (photo 12):

12 Children and Grand Child

Since leaving the legislature Carrol has been very involved with community activities and remains especially interested in County and State politics. In my interview with him recently he demonstrated a very thorough familiarity with local, state and national issues; I don’t think he would have any difficulty in winning elective office again if he so chose to do so!

An interesting aspect of Carrol McCubbin’s family not only is its long association with the history of our county but also the fact that much genealogical research has been performed tracing the family all the way back to Scotland.  Carrol has taken an avid interest in the McCubbin heritage and even has a photographic image of the official McCubbin Coat of Arms including its history (photo 13).

13 Coat of Arms

Here is an abbreviated genealogical line of Carrol’s family history:

Line of Descent

1. Sir John Maccubbin of Knocdolin in Ayrshire: a lineal descendant of Kenneth MacAlpin (of which Maccubin is a corruption used in the lowlands) first King of all Scotland, who died in 858 A.D.

2. John Macubbin: Born in Scotland in 1630;  Died in Maryland  21 September 1685.

3. John Maccubbin: Born in Ann Arundel County, Maryland in 1666. Died in 1736 in Maryland.

4. William Maccubbin: Born in 1704 in Ann Arundel County, Maryland. Died in Maryland… date?

5. William Maccubbin: Born about 1730.  During Revolution lived in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

6. James McCubbin: Born 1755, Baltimore County, Maryland. Died 1824, Green County, Kentucky

7. James McCubbin, Jr.: Born 1789 in Rockingham County, North Carolina. Died 1841 at Hickory Point Cemetery in Miller County  (accident of unknown type)

8. William Cook McCubbin: Born 1812 in Green County, Kentucky. Died  1864 in C.W. Camp at Rolla, Mo.

9. Zachariah Taylor McCubbin: Born 1855 at Watkins, Miller County Mo. Died  1940 at Brumley, Missouri

10.  James Oscar McCubbin: Born 1878 at Brumley, Missouri. Died 1967

11. Carrol C. McCubbin: Born 1915 Ulman, Missouri

Clyde Lee Jenkins several years ago in the early 1970’s wrote an article for the Autogram of very extensive nature detailing the history of the McCubbin family in America and their eventual migration to Miller County and for some of them points further west. For those who are interested in the details of genealogical research of the McCubbin family, one of the earliest to come to Miller County, I will copy here what Clyde wrote:

Miller County Autogram

(date unknown, copied from a newspaper clipping)

The McCubbin family, associated with the early days in Miller County, is just one of the many local families whose family histories have been and are being compiled by local historian Clyde Lee Jenkins, “Only those who are involved in such history can imagine the tremendous amount of effort and correspondence which goes into such a work as here presented,” he said. “My interest is that other families in Miller County might bring information. I feel that 100 years from now the valor of such an effort cannot be measured.”

The McCubbin story commences in Scotland, with the patriarch Sir John McCubbin; a lineal descendant of Kenneth McAlpin, first king of all Scotland, who died in the year 858.

His son, John, born in Scotland in 1630, having emigrated to the colonies, married first Susan Howard, and second Elinor Carroll. The parents of Susan were Samuel Howard and Katherine Warner, natives of Scotland.

John and Susan were the parents of John Sr., born in 1666, who married Anne Howard; Samuel, born in 1667, who married Elizabeth Lin; Elizabeth, born in 1669; William, born in 1672, who married Sarah Westfall; Zachariah, born in 1674, who married Susannah Nicholson; and Moses, born in 1675. After Susan’s death, John and Elinor were the parents of Sarah, born in 1682, who married William Griffith.

John, the son of Sir John, who was the husband of Susan first, and Elinor second, died in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, on September 21, 1685.

His son Zachariah, who married Susannah Nicholson, served as one of the Justices of Anne Arundel County and of the Quorum then, in 1724, was High Sheriff of Anne Arundel County, and again from 1729 through 1732,. He was succeeded to the office by his son, Nicholas, in 1732.

Nicholas Maccubbin, High Sheriff of Anne Arundel County, and a prominent vestryman of St. Anne’s Parish Church of Annapolis, married Mary Clare Carroll in 1747. She was a sister of Charles Carroll of Revolutionary War fame, and a daughter of Dr. Charles O’Carroll, whose father was Charles, Baron of Ely-O-Carroll in Ireland. Her father, having emigrated to Maryland in 1715, was married to Dorothy Blake, a daughter of Charles Blake of Wye River, Maryland,

Nicholas and Mary Clare were the parents of Nicholas Jr., who married Anne Fennings; James, who married Sophia Gough; John Samuel, Mary, and Susannah.

Dr. Charles O’Carroll’s son, the Charles of Revolutionary War fame, dying without issue, although having had twins who died in infancy by his wife, Margaret Thighman, left Nicholas Jr. and James Maccubbin, his nephews, a sizeable fortune, but stipulated, in order for them to receive it, they must take their “mother’s name of Carroll, and that only, and use the Coat of Arms forever.” A Special Act by the legislature of Maryland in 1783, signed by the Governor, William Paca authenticated by him with the Great Seal, allowed this to be done. Afterward, Nicholas Jr. and James Carroll, and at this point, they departed from the Maccubbin clan.

William Maccubbin, who married Sarah Westfall, was first a lieutenant, and afterward captain in the Colonial Militia of Maryland.

John Sr., who married Anne Howard, was one of the Justices of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and of the Quorum, and they were the parents of Samuel, Deborah, Ann, William, Rachel, John, Zachariah, Moses, and Richard.

William McCubbin, fourth child of John Sr. and Anne, married Nellie Griffith, they having a son, William Jr., who married a woman named Eleanor. Before the Revolutionary War, William Jr. and Eleanor moved into Pittsylvania County,Virginia, where they settled by Rutledge Creek of the Dan River. Here, their sons, Zachariah and James, visited with them while in the services of the Virginia Militia, during the struggle for Independence.

Zachariah McCubbin, born in Baltimore County, Maryland, in 1752, married Miss Sarah Lane in Pitrtsylvania County, Virginia in 1772. A daughter of John Lane and Elizabeth Clond, she was born in Lunenburg County, Virginia, in 1754. After the war, Zachariah and Sarah moved into Tennessee where he died, in Claiborne County, in 1834.

James McCubbin, born in Baltimore County, Maryland, on April 14, 1755; died in Green County, Kentucky, on March 10, 1824. During the Revolutionary war he served as a commissary in a hospital in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He was married to Miss Mary Cook, on December 29, 1784, the ceremony performed by Reverend Isaac Cantrell in Rockingham County, North Carolina. Mary, born in 1769 was a native of Virginia, and she died in Green County, Kentucky, in 1858. After marriage, they resided in Rockingham County, North Carolina for some time, where James was a gentleman farmer, school-master, and preacher.

In 1807 they moved into Green County, Kentucky, where they lived until their deaths.

Following the demise of James in 1824, Mary immediately married John Dicken, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, but he died, suddenly, on January 17, 1825. James McCubbin and Mary Cook were the parents of 13 children, nine of whom were born in Rockingham County, North Carolina, with the remaining four children born in Green County, Kentucky. The children were:

John, born May 15, 1785, in North Carolina, married a woman named Elizabeth, a native of South Carolina, born in 1790.

James, born July 10, 1789, in North Carolina, married Mary Parthna Cook, in Green County, Kentucky, on May 11, 1811.

Mary, a native of North Carolina, was born in 1792.

Sarah, born September 19, 1791, in North Carolina, married William Bennight.

Zachariah, born June 2, 1794, in North Carolina, married Anne Chism in Green County, Kentucky. He died there when over 100 years of age.

Joseph, born February 27, 1796, in North Carolina, married a widow, Mrs. Eleanor Lipsie Thacker, on November 2, 1822 in Green County, Kentucky. She was a daughter of Catherine and John Lipsey, a soldier of the Revolutionary war, who did in Hancock county, Illinois, when 103 years of age. Catherine died in Kentucky in 1833. Eleanor died November 11, 1860, and Joseph died January 4, 1881, both in Hancock County, Illinois.

Mary, born August 24, 1798 in North Carolina, married Thomas Cogdal, in Green County, Kentucky.  She died near Winfield, Kansas, on February 10, 1893.

William, born July 16, 1800, in North Carolina, married Drucilla Chism in Kentucky. He died in Callaway County, Missouri, on June 12, 1869.

Thomas, born in Green County, Kentucky, on July 2, 1809, married Malinda Gum, Thomas died in Benton County, Missouri.

Martha Elizabeth, born in Green County, Kentucky on September 8, 1811, married T.A. Bloyd.

David, born September 22, 1813, in Green County, Kentucky, was married three times, first to Jane Gum, Malinda’s sister. He died when 94 years of age in Benton County, Missouri.

In 1831, the McCubbin Clan in Kentucky commenced separating with an emigration party moving into the country of the Illinois, known as the Bloyd, McCubbin, Rupe party of about thirty members. They wintered near the Sangamon River, then moved on into present day Hancock County, but soon left the place, the Indians driving them out. They removed themselves, with very few possessions, rapidly to Beardstown on the Illinois River for protection, from which place, the following year, they emigrated into Missouri

A year or more later, Joseph McCubbin, who married Eleanor Lipsie, and having three small children, moving from Green County, Kentucky into Hancock County, Illinois, remained at the place even though their relatives were gone. Joseph raised a log cabin and he and Eleanor settled down to pioneer living, and the rearing of a family. They were the parents of Sally Ann, James Allen, William Gardner, Elizabeth Jane, Turner Fisher, and Thomas Benton.

Pleasant McCubbin, who married Matilda Rupe, leader of the Bloyd-McCubbin-Rupe party into Illinois, settled at Warsaw, Missouri, about 1836 where, it is said, he erected one of the first houses in that town. A man of great physical strength he was often a roustabout on steamboats in the Osage River traffic, appearing at Tuscumbia many times during the 1840’s and 50’s. Pleasant and Matilda were the parents of  Thomas, Granville R., Kern, James A., John, Cassandre, Frank, Byrd, Barnett, Mary, Elizabeth,  and Sarah.

In 1833, John McCubbin, who married Elizabeth, departed from Green County, Kentucky, settling in Pulaski County, Missouri, where, after 1837, they were situated in Equality Township, Miller County, later, Glaze Township. John and Elizabeth were the parents of ten children, and included William R., Abraham, Thomas II, John P., Elizabeth, Nancy, Melvina, Sarah J., Charity S., and Anne.

William Jr. married Nancy Bilyeu Smathers, widow of John Smathers, and the mother of William B. Smathers, born in 1840. Three children were born to William R. and Nancy in Miller County: Dianah, John H., and Elizabeth.

Abraham married Sarah Dean and while in Miller County three children were born to them: John Brumley, William Simon, and Zelphe Jane. In the early 1850’s, William R. and Abraham McCubbin left the area, with others going northwesterly via the Oregon Trail. They took donation land claims in Clackamas County, Oregon, about ten miles from Oregon City.

Four children born to William R. and Nancy in Oregon included Laeinda, Thomas P., Jane, and Rhoda. Abraham and Sarah were the parents of three more children: Margaret Elizabeth, Melvin Catherine, and Leander Pleasant. These children married in Oregon, with the sons, and the husbands of the daughters, largely successful sheep and cattlemen

William P. McCubbin, born May 18, 1810, died February 9, 1889 at Logan, Oregon. His wife, Nancy, born January 27, 1819, died at the same place, February 6, 1901. Sarah, the wife of Abraham, born March 24, 1829, died April 4, 1887, at Lostine, Oregon, and is buried there. Abraham McCubbin, born May 21, 1817, died March 12, 1882, and is buried a top Graveyard Butte, one of but 10 marked burials at the site. This butte, rising out of a high plain, overlooks the White River canyon, which in turn, is distinctly overshadowed by majestic Mount Hood. The view of the countryside from this small cemetery is breathtakingly beautiful.

The other children of John and Elizabeth remained in Miller County:

Thomas H., born in 1824, married Lucy S. Watkins on March 16, 1857, but he died, without issue, in 1861. Lucy S. then married Charles Jeffries on March 27, 1864.

John P., born in 1832, was a person of considerable means when he died in 1866. His estate papers mentioned a widow, Martha E. but no children.

Elizabeth married first James Meredith, on March 23, 1858; then married second Miles H. Burris on August 14, 1864.

Nancy married John Brumley;

Melvina married William Bass;

Sarah J. married Joshua Richard Shockley;

Charity S. married a Karr, living in Arkansas before coming to Miller County;

Anne married Gideon Long, Anne having died in the later 1850’s left children Mary, who married William Meredith;

America Ann, who married Riley Winfrey;

Rebecca Jane, who married James F. Meredith;

Sarah F. Long. Carity S., called Scissly, died before 1850, leaving children John and James Karr.

John McCubbin died in Miller County in 1860, his wife, Elizabeth died in 1871.

Sarah McCubbin, who married William Bennight, came to Miller County in the middle 1830’s where her husband, a miller, practiced his trade at Sartar’s Mill near the Big Saline Creek, later becoming the sole proprietor of the enterprise. They left the area in the 1840’s moving into what is now Caldwell County, Missouri.

James McCubbin, who married Mary Parthna Cook, followed his sister, Sarah, and brother, John, into Missouri. In the late Autumn of 1835, they arrived in the Little Richwoods country, and in the spring of 1837, at a favorable place near the Brushy Fork Creek, immediately opened the wilderness by clearing a small patch of hickory land. Having stirred the soil enough with a pole plow pulled by a yoke of oxen, James, Mary, and children took several pieces of maize toted in a wagon box from Kentucky and planted their first crop. First, living under a crude lean to constructed of pole and brush, they enjoyed few conveniences, but after dog days, good weather having assured a bountiful harvest, a large cellar was dug and covered, a smokehouse erected, and a log dwelling raised. Now, firmly established, the McCubbin improvement, with the coming of married sons, and other members of the clan nearby, would become a settlement, and a place for holding social activities, especially church services.

James and his sons Zachariah W. (grandfather of Carrol McCubbin, see photo above) and William C., daughters Margaret, Mary, Elizabeth E., Cynthian, and Sarepta B. were eight of the first ten members establishing The United Baptist Church of Jesus Christ at Little Richwoods in 1840.

James McCubbin died in 1841 from injuries suffered in an accident. A stern, devout man, few pioneers contributed more toward development of the area, and the enlightenment of the inhabitants minds. Upon his death he yet owned 140 acres of land situated, by his description, “In the State of Kentucky, Green County, and on the road leading from Glasgo to Elizabeth and near Green River, it being the place that I moved off of when I left that country.” His Kentucky neighbors included Joshua Lee, Moses Parker, and Elijah Gum.

The children of James and Mary Parthenon, besides those aforementioned, included Catherine, James B., Julia Ann, Emily N., Joseph D., John T., and Lydia J.B. Catherine married William Hawkins; Sareputa B. married Wesley Hawkins. Elizabeth B. married William DeGraffenreid; Cynthia married first John Snelling, second Joseph Ellison, and third Techarner DeGraffenreid. Lydia B. married first John J. McComb, second Absalum Evans. Julia Ann married Willis G. Burks; Emily N. married Samuel Payne, Margaret married Willis V. Burks; John T. married Lucy Mariah Watkins; James B. married Justine Reed; Mary married Thomas Ellison; William C. married Margaret Watkins; Zachariah W. married Susannah M. DeGraffenreid; Joseph D. married Mary Jane Russell.

Thomas and David McCubbin, having married sisters, arrived in Miller County soon after their brother John and sister Sarah, but both left the area before the Civil War.

Thomas married Matilda Gun, and they were the parents of Pleasant, Elizabeth, and Susannah. He died in Benton County, Missouri near Warsaw. David married Jane Gun and they were the parents of Thomas, Abraham, Felix, Julia Ann, and a daughter whom they called Twitt. He removed to Benton County about the same time as brother Thomas; where he died in the 94th year of his life.

Thanks Clyde.

In one section of our museum we have a collection of old tools used by farmers many years ago. We also have some blacksmith paraphernalia as well.  For example, here is an old forge (photo 14) typical of the kind used by blacksmiths over one hundred years ago.

14 Old Blacksmith Forge

In Tuscumbia, John Kallenbach and later Elmer Flaugher were well known blacksmiths.  In Eldon, a well known blacksmith was Tom Baughman.  Tom was born in 1908 in Gladstone, near Old Linn Creek. Later Gladstone was covered up by the Lake as was Old Linn Creek. Here is a painting of Tom (photo 15) painted by his son, Don, which was donated to our museum in 1991.

15 Tom Baughman

Tom had blacksmith shops in various locations during his lifetime including Olean in addition to Eldon around here.  He also moved around quite a bit even to Pleasant Hill near Kansas City where he had a blacksmith shop.  According to information received at the time of the donation of the painting Tom was living in Florida.

I talked a while back to Pat Hull of Eldon, who knew Tom Baughman when he was a blacksmith. Tom had his shop in Eldon during the 1940’s according to Pat, and while the horses had pretty much disappeared from the streets, Tom still had work using his forge for shaping and making tools and parts for his customers.

David Shelton of Eldon also remembered Tom. David said that Tom was short but stocky and muscular. David remembered that Tom always took a round or two with the boxers who came to Eldon with the traveling circus shows. He hardly ever won, David remembered, but still loved to scrap it out with whomever who came to town, no matter their size.

That's all for this week.