Progress Notes

Kenneth Hawken, now living near Linn Creek, called me recently to tell me he was going to donate to our museum an old pocket watch which used to belong to his great grandfather, George Washington Edwards. About a century ago or more George raised a big family on his large farm located about five miles east of Tuscumbia on the south side of the Osage River. Here are photos of Kenneth, his great grandfather George and two photos of the old watch (photos 01 - 04):

01 Kenneth Hawken

02 George Washington Edwards

03 Waltham Watch in Stand

04 Waltham Watch out of Stand

Not much is known about the watch regarding its origin; however, Kenneth said he has seen photos of his great grandfather George Edwards in which the old watch could be seen hanging on a chain attached to George’s coat pocket.

According to Wikipedia, “The Waltham Watch Company, also known as the American Waltham Watch Co. and the American Watch Co., produced about 40 million high quality watches, clocks, speedometers, compasses, time fuses and other precision instruments between 1850 and 1957.” Wikipedia gives more information about the company and the different watches made.

The importance of the gift of the watch to us is that its authenticity certainly is verified concerning its ownership by one of our leading Miller County citizens of the past. We are very happy to have it to put on display in our museum.

Kenneth is the son of Clyde and Lucy Hawken originally from the Tuscumbia area. Here is a photo of Clyde and Lucy in front of an old lemon tree originally owned by George Edwards, Clyde’s grandfather (photo 05).

05 Lucy and Clyde Hawken in front of Lemon Tree - 1992

The lemon tree dates back many years ago when George ordered some seeds from a mail order catalogue. This tree is still alive now under the care of Karen Wyrick Smith, cousin of Kenneth, who also is a great granddaughter of George Edwards.

Clyde for many years beginning in the early 1940’s was a superintendent of road and other types of construction in the far away state of Alaska. Kenneth followed in his father’s path and also had a long career of heading up construction projects in Alaska. Kenneth attended school early on at Tuscumbia and then later at Eugene after his father bought a farm near there in eastern Miller County. Later, Kenneth was graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Industrial Education. Clyde and Lucy (daughter of Oscar Abbott) always were interested in Miller County history and so is their son, Kenneth. Quite a few of Clyde and Lucy’s historical items have been donated to the museum by Kenneth, especially a collection of old photographs.

Another item in Kenneth’s possession is the old roll top desk pictured in the photo above of Kenneth. Here is another photo of the desk (photo 06):

06 Hauenstein's Desk

The desk originally was owned by George and Ida Hauenstein for use in their general store in Tuscumbia (photos 07 and 08).

07 George Hauenstein

08 Ida McCommons Hauenstein

The Hauenstein’s store was one of the major historical businesses of the town of early Tuscumbia (photo 09).

09 Hauenstein's Store

Clyde Hawken and Tuscumbia attorney, LeRoy Snodgrass, had purchased the old Hauenstein’s store back in the 1970’s with the intention of rehabilitating it; however, this project was not completed. But Clyde kept the desk and now it is in the possession of Kenneth who is going to donate it to our museum at some time in the future (Kenneth said he has quite a few important papers in the desk which he needs to sort out and organize before letting the desk go).

LeRoy Snodgrass was a well known attorney in Tuscumbia who was prosecuting attorney for several years. Here is a campaign photo of Leroy and a biography (photos 10 and 11):

10 LeRoy Snodgrass

11 LeRoy Snodgrass
Click image for larger view

We certainly are very grateful to Kenneth for his desire to preserve these very important historical items in our museum.

You can read more about the Hawken family at this previous Progress Notes where Mildred Messersmith Gray has written the family’s history.

And you can read more about the lemon tree at this previous Progress Notes.

More about Hauenstein’s Store can be found here.

George Washington Edwards, who was a prisoner during the Civil War at Andersonville, is discussed at this location on our website written by his granddaughter, Doris Edwards Wyrick.

George’s experience at Andersonville is discussed at this previous Progress Notes:

Here is an abbreviated descendency of George Washington Edward’s family as compiled by our museum director, Nancy Thompson (photo 12):

12 Descendants of George Washington Edwards
Click image to view complete document in PDF format

In the descendency chart you will note that George Edward’s daughter, Fannie, had married William Hawken, Kenneth’s grandfather (photo 13).

13 William Carroll Hawken

Here is an old photo taken from a newspaper of William and his children (photo 14):

14 William, Ruth, Carl, Maude and Clyde Hawken

And here is a photo of Kenneth’s father, Clyde, as a young teenager (photo 15):

15 Clyde Hawken

Another photo years later was taken in Alaska which includes Clyde and another Miller County native, Walter Graves (photo 16).

16 Clyde Hawken (Middle) and Walter Graves (Right)

Kenneth Hawken’s intention to make a future donation to our museum of the old roll top desk which once belonged to the Hauenstein family is symbolically meaningful. The Hauenstein family’s enterprises in this area provided the earliest and largest general store, Hauenstein’s Store (photo 17) as well as the county’s largest mill, known as “The Anchor Mill” (photo 18).

17 Early Hauenstein's Store

18 Anchor Roller Mill

The name of the mill more than likely originated from the family’s early use of steamboats for transportation and commerce up and down the Osage River. So it seems appropriate to feature here a short history of the Hauenstein family. In an edition of the Tuscumbia Autogram published July 25, 1953 a very good summary of the Hauenstein family is recorded. Here is a copy of the front page of the newspaper where the article was found (photo 19):

19 Hauenstein Family History - 1953
Click image for larger view

And here is the article:

Hauenstein Family History
Miller County Autogram 1952

The Hauenstein family, founder of the Anchor Mill, which has operated continuously in Miller County for more than three quarters of a century, first came to Tuscumbia in 1865. Today, a picture of the mill’s founder, William Hauenstein, shown below, hangs in the Anchor office (photo 20).

20 William Hauenstein, Sr.

The following history of the Hauenstein family was secured from a scrapbook belonging to Mrs. Byron Hix of Tuscumbia (photo 21), a granddaughter of the first Hauensteins to come to America.

21 Ida Hauenstein Hix

Lack of information has made it impossible to write a history of the complete family, but the history of a few local members is attempted.

William Hauenstein, born in Rhein Bay, Bavaria, now a part of Germany, and his wife, Elizabeth Steigleman Hauenstein (photo 22), also of Rhein Bay, came to America in their early life and settled in New York.

22 Maria Elizabeth Steigleman Hauenstein

Their children, William H. (photo 23), Maria Elizabeth (photo 24), Augusta Phillippina (Mrs. John Fogleman) (photo 25) were born in Germany. Phillip Ferdinand (photo 26) was born in New York in 1855 before the family moved to Michigan.

23 William H. Hauenstein

24 Elizabeth Hauenstein
Daughter of Wm. Henry and Maria Elizabeth Steigleman Hauenstein

25 Augusta Fogleman

26 Phil Hauenstein

From Michigan they moved to Boonville, Missouri by boat via St. Louis. In 1865, they moved to Tuscumbia. The other children were Eva Carolina (the mother of the late Dr. Will Sone of Jefferson City), Emma Augusta (the late Mrs. R. M. Marshall) (photo 27), Alfred, and Maria Barbara, who died in infancy.

27 Emma Hauenstein

In 1875, Mr. Hauenstein built a saw and grist mill at Tuscumbia in “Goosebottom,” which adjoined what is now Riverside Park. It was enlarged to facilitate the grinding of wheat into flour and later more modern machinery was added and production began on a large scale (photo 28).

28 Hauenstein Saw and Grist Mill Riverside Park

The Anchor Roller Mills were built in the east part of town, along with a new lumber shed, elevator and office buildings (see photo 18 above and photo 29).

29 2nd Anchor Milling Lumber Shed - Office and Mill farther Down River

They are still standing but were abandoned when the new buildings were built above Tuscumbia on Highway 52 in 1949 because of the floods (photo 30).

30 Anchor Mill Highway 52

Mr. Hauenstein returned to Germany for a short time to settle an estate and when he returned his nephew, George T. Hauenstein, came with him. George established a general merchandise business in Tuscumbia (photos 30a and 30b).

30a Hauenstein Store Original
Click image for larger view

30b Hauenstein Store Remodeled
Click image for larger view

It was operated for several years after his death by his wife, the former Ida McCommons (photos 31 and 32).

31 George Hauenstein

32 Ida McCommons Hauenstein

After her death it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Dorsey O. Barron (photo 33) and the name was changed to Barron’s Store.

33 Dorsey Barron

Mrs. Barron and Mrs. D.E. Kallenbach are nieces of Mrs. Hauenstein (photos 33a and 33b).

33a Ruth McCommons Barron

33b Susie Pryor, Patricia Pryor, Ina (McCommons) and Dewey Kallenbach and Joe Pryor

George’s sister, Mary, later came to the United States. She was the mother of George and Will Nichols.

William Hauenstein’s son, William Henry, carried on in the mercantile business (see photo 23 above). He was assisted by his brother in law, Theron Folsom. William Henry was united in marriage to Elizabeth Goodrich (photo 34) and they were the parents of a son, Frederick (photos 35a and 35b).

34 Elizabeth Goodrich Hauenstein

35a Fred Hauenstein

35b Frederick Hauenstein at 75th Alumni Reunion Westminster College

At a very young age, Frederick’s mother, Elizabeth, drowned accidentally after falling off of a steamboat returning from St. Louis and her body never was found. Later, Frederick was graduated from Westminster College and after further study at the University of Missouri at Rolla he moved to California.

In early life, Mr. Hauenstein became interested in boats, spending many hours with his father’s boat, “The Alice Gray.” He conceived the idea of building a light draft boat with a barge. The boat propelled the combination and the barge carried the cargo. This made it possible to operate on a swollen river when heavier boats could not, and soon became a popular combination with river men. For his interest in boating he won the title, “Captain.” The first boat built under this plan was the steamer, “Frederick” (probably named for his son). It was 100 feet in length (photo 36).

36 Frederick

The boat was later acquired by Captain R.M. Marshall (photo 37), a well known steamboat captain, who operated it on the Osage and Missouri Rivers for several years.

37 Bob Marshall

Mr. Hauenstein was also interested in cattle raising, owning much land in Miller County. He was a stockholder when the Bank of Tuscumbia was organized in 1903 and became its first cashier (photo 37a).

37a Bank of Tuscumbia

He was also interested in politics and religion. He was a charter member of the Tuscumbia Presbyterian Church which was organized in 1888 and served as elder for several years (photo 38).

38 Presbyterian Church early 1900's across from Bank

He also belonged to the Royal Arch Masons.

He later married Martha Challes Henley and to this union three children were born. They are Elizabeth (Mrs. Homer Lee Wright of Tuscumbia) (photo 38a), William H., who is a prosperous Osage River farmer, and lives above Tuscumbia, and Lela (the late Mrs. E.P. Clark) (photo 38b).

38a Elizabeth Lizzie Hauenstein - Age 17

38b Lela Haunstein Clark - Wife of Ed Clark

His younger brother, Phillip Ferdinand (photo 39), better known as Phil or P.F., was also a businessman. He continued the milling business started by his father.

39 Phil Hauenstein

When the Anchor Milling Company was incorporated in 1897, he was chosen as secretary, treasurer, and general business manager. He added many improvements and with the aid of his son in law, C. B. Wright (photo 40), did a flourishing business.

40 Clarence Boyce Wright

He was married to Sarah Riggins (photo 41).

41 Sarah Riggins - Mother of Ida Hauenstein Hix

They were the parents of May (Mrs. C. B. Wright); Maude, who died at the age of 9 years; Mrs. C.C. Thompson (Emma, who lives at Portland, Oregon); Mrs. H. J. (Sarah) Schillerman of St. Louis and Mrs. Byron Hix (Ida) of Tuscumbia (photos 42 and 43).

42 May, Maude, Emma and Sarah Hauenstein

43 Ida Hauenstein Hix

He received his education in the public schools at Tuscumbia and later studied at the University of Missouri.

An early member of the Presbyterian Church, he served as deacon for many years.

He was a director of the Bank of Tuscumbia until his death in 1924.

Surviving members of the Hauenstein family are Mrs. C.B. Wright and son, Homer C. Wright of Tuscumbia; Mrs. H.J. Schillermann and children, Harry, Raymond, Virginia, and Doris; Mrs. Byron Hix of Tuscumbia; Mrs. C.C. Thompson and children Paul and Kathleen of Portland, Oregon; Mrs. Homer Lee Wright and children; Corrine, Bennett, Olive, Elizabeth, Lucille, Kenneth, Phillys, and Russell; Mrs. Forence Davidson and children, Dorothy, Fred, Frank, Robert, John, Julia, Noel, Murray, and Virginia; Vivan Caldwell; Robert Fogleman and children, Ola, Olive and Robert k; Will Fogleman (deceased) was the father of Helen Lawson, Pauline, Ruby and Lillian; and Frederick Hauenstein and son, Frederick, Jr. of California.

Other sources on our website offer further information about the Hauenstein family. One of these is the biography Peggy Hake wrote which can be found on our website.

Further information about Hauenstein’s Store can be found here.

David Weinberg, who is a reporter for “The St. Louis Beacon” periodical of St. Louis, produced an entertaining slide show and narrative of our Bridge opening ceremony last August 16. In this production David interviewed Tuscumbia Town Board Chairperson Lysha Thompson, myself, and Royal Kallenbach.

Especially interesting was the part of the interview with Royal. Royal actually talked for about a half hour with David recalling many of the memories he has of both the old swinging bridge as well as its 1933 replacement which in turn was the one most recently replaced by our new bridge present today. Not all of Royal’s interview is present on the recording but all of it was very interesting. Royal now is 94 years old but his quickness of mind and memory is as good as ever!

View the slide show and listen to the interview below:

This week I will copy another chapter from Vance Randolph’s (photo 44) book, “Ozark Superstitions."

44 Vance Randolph

This week the subject discussed is about the various types of medical treatments used by rural people in the Ozarks some one hundred years ago. It is titled “Mountain Medicine” (photo 45).

45 Ozark Superstitions - Mountain Medicine
Click image to read entire chapter in PDF format

Refer back to the Progress Notes of August 30 to read Vance’s biography.

My mother in law, Elva Steen, and her great granddaughter, Allison Steen, were featured in an article in the September 16 Eldon Advertiser. Courtney Steen, Allison’s mother, had submitted a photo of Elva and Allison (photo 46) to a contest sponsored by the Missouri Department of Agriculture in which Elva and Allison were finding some really big green beans in the Steen garden.

46 Picking Green Beans
For this photo of her youngest daughter and grandmother-in-law picking beans at the family farm outside Eldon, Mills Elementary second grade instructor Courtney Steen received honarable mention in the 2010 Focus on Missouri Agriculture Photo Contest, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Agriculture. This image was chosen out of nearly 500 photos submitted by more than 110 amateur Missouri photographers. (Submitted Photo)

Here is a copy of the article:

Area teacher wins photo contest

Courtney Steen, Eldon, won honorable mention in the “Faces of the Farm” category, during the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s recent Focus on Missouri Agriculture Photo Contest. Steen, a teacher at Mills Elementary, was chosen for her image “Picking Green Beans,” which depicts her grandmother-in-law and daughter picking beans on the family farm. This image was one of nearly 500 submitted by amateur photographers from all over Missouri.

Officials said the image perfectly captured the excited faces of two generations picking green beans on a nice, fall day.

“Missourians were given the opportunity to share their favorite photographs with others who share the same love for agriculture.

Their images truly showed us the diversity of life on the farm in Missouri,” said Director of Agriculture Dr. Jon Hagler. “Every farm has a story to tell and this winning photo captured the essence of a great agriculture story.”

Photos were submitted into four main categories: Beauty of the Farm, The Farmer’s Life, Faces of the Farm and Pride of the Farm. In total, 24 winners were selected by a panel of judges from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Steen said she was honored, surprised and extremely excited to have had her piece chosen.

Saturday, October 9 we will have our annual chili dinner and car show beginning at 10:00 a.m. and ending at 4:00 p.m. We always have a good number of exhibitors for this event from a widely distributed area. The cars vary in age from classic fifties to really old models from the twenties and thirties era. Entertainment will be provided by Joe Jeffries and his bluegrass group. Also there will be a miniature tractor pull for the youngsters.

Concurrent with our car show Saturday, October 9 is the annual Tuscumbia High School Alumni Reunion at the high school gym in Tuscumbia beginning with a meal at six p.m. The program this year will be a memorial to Tuscumbia alumnus Lee Mace (photo 46a), the originator of the famous Ozark Opry musical show at Osage Beach, Missouri.

46a Lee and Joyce Mace

This year marks the twenty fifth year since Lee tragically died in an airplane accident. For those who want to visit the museum we will have it open until six p.m. when the alumni meeting begins.

Our quarterly newsletter has just been completed by Nancy Thompson, our museum director. You can read it by clicking on the image below (document is in the PDF format) (photo 47).

47 MCHS Newsletter - September 2010
Click image to view entire Newsletter in PDF format

That’s all for this week.

Joe Pryor

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