Progress Notes

My wife Judy’s sister, Sue, was the genealogist of their family. During Sue’s research about the family’s Steen ancestors, she found a connection of the Steen’s to some well known Miller County citizens of the past which hadn’t been told to later generations. Judy and Sue’s great grandfather was John Steen (photo 01).

01 John Brannon and Mary Caroline Brannon Steen - 1930

John and his brother George Steen had neighboring farms on the county line between Miller and Camden County not far from the Glover Cemetery where they and others of the Steen family are buried. John was the father of Frank Steen who having married a descendent of John Williams, moved to Miller County to the Williams farm which his wife, Ellie Wall, had inherited. Ellie’s mother was a daughter of John Williams.

Among the children of George Steen was his daughter, Martha Jane Steen, who was a first cousin to Frank Steen. Martha and her brother Bennett and sister Joan travelled north to Spring Garden to attend the Spring Garden Institute. This move to the north part of Miller County gave occasion for Martha to meet Emil Becker of Eldon, one of the areas most important early entrepreneurs whom she later married. This story briefly is told in the Lake of the Ozarks Fiftieth Anniversary Book, p. 308. In the story, you also will learn how the most important street in Eldon, Maple Street, got its name:

Emil Becker

By Lena Becker Mills

Emil A. Becker, born in Westphalia, Germany, in 1858, came to America at age twelve by way of New Orleans to St. Louis. Several years later the family came to a farm near Mary’s Home.

Later, E.A. Becker and his brother, Ernest, lived with their mother, Caroline Becker, in Spring Garden. Here the two men had a general store across from the Spring Garden Institute, the first such school in Miller County.

Martha Jane Steen from near Hawkeye came to school in Spring Garden with her brother, Bennett, and sister Joan. In April of 1900 Emil Becker and Martha Steen were married at the home of George W. and Mathilda Steen.

In 1904 the Becker family moved to Eldon and built the store building occupied by Mattingly’s for many years. In late 1920 the merchandise was sold and the building leased to Jackson Hardware, and later to Mattingly’s.

During the early years in Eldon, Emil Becker had the contract for many miles of road bed for the new Rock Island Railroad, soon to be built through Eldon. He also operated an ax handle factory, south of the old railroad depot, and shipped handles to dealers over the country.

Mr. and Mrs. Becker were active members of Eldon Baptist Church, Mr. Becker served as a deacon and was on building committee during the construction of two Baptist churches in Eldon. He was a director of the Bank of Eldon and active in the Chamber of Commerce.

The family home, where now Citizens Bank now is located, was built in the early 1900’s. Several hundred young maple trees were set out on back lots of their home. As these trees grew, Mr. Becker gave them to interested people in Eldon to serve as shade trees. He also offered to plant the young trees for anyone who was unable to do so. The main street became Maple Street because of the many maples from the Becker lot (photo 02).

02 E.A. Becker Home - 1908

There were four children: Walter Steen Becker (1901-1959); Lenah (Mrs. Leland Mills), Eldon; Eula (Mrs. Paul Killian); and Mabel (Mrs. William Harris) both of Springfield (photo 03).

03 E.A. Becker Family

Submitted by Lenah Becker Mills

Ms. Mills mentioned that her father had helped build the Rock Island Railway to Eldon. We have a photo on our website of the crew of men who were working for Emil Becker to lay the Rock Island Track (photo 04).

04 Becker Cut

The caption for the photo reads:

“Track was being laid at a rate of one mile each day. The bridge was completed across the Osage and trains had begun to run through Henley. That stretch of the railroad was known as the Becker Cut. Emil Becker of Eldon and his crew with 50 mules was contracted to lay the road bed on the strip.”

You can read more about the commercial development of Eldon and the railroad at this website.

Later, Lenah Becker married the well known Miller County educator, Leland Mills. That story also is told in the Lake of the Ozarks 50th Anniversary book, p. 452:

Leland O. Mills (photo 05)

05 Lenah B. and Leland O. Mills

Leland O. Mills, born in Edmund, Wisconsin, was the son of Daniel and Viola Kolb Mills. His father was a cattle buyer. The family came to Greene County, Missouri, and settled on a farm.

Leland, the oldest of four children, entered school in Bois D’Arc, later going to Southwest Teachers College in Springfield, where he finished in three years. He accepted the position of superintendent of his home school and remained there nine years. He received a Masters in Education at Missouri University in 1931.

In 1935 he was offered the superintendence of the new School of the Osage, Lake Ozark. This school was created after the completion of Bagnell Dam. He remained in this position 35 years.

Leland was married in 1938 to Lenah Becker at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. E.A. Becker, pioneers of Eldon. The Mills lost their only child, Daniel, in infancy.

Lenah attended Eldon schools, graduated from Missouri State Teachers College, Warrensburg, in 1931, later did graduate work in remedial reading. She continued in primary work for many years.

In 1959, Leland was elected president of Missouri School Administrators. In 1963, he received the Distinguished Service to Education Award in Warrensburg, and was listed in “Who’s Who in American Education.” He was chosen one of 111 educators in the United States to go to Norway, Denmark, Russia and Hungary to study comparative education from kindergarten to college.

At a reception for the Mills upon his retirement he was given the key to the City of Lake Ozark and was complimented by having the new elementary school named for him. The Leland and Lenah Mills Scholarship was formed in their honor by patrons and teachers of Osage. This scholarship goes annually to an Osage senior going into the teaching profession.

A member of Phi Delta Kappa educational fraternity, he was also active in Central Missouri School Men’s Club and a charter member of Lake Ozark Lions Club.

Submitted by Lenah B. Mills

My wife, Judy, and her sister Sue were distant fourth cousins of Lenah Mills but all the years they were attending School of the Osage where Mr. Mills was superintendent they never knew exactly how they were related to Lenah until Sue did her Steen family research.

The educational career of Leland Mills is one of the outstanding ones of our county’s educators. Another brilliant educator was Thomas Everett Vaughan (photo 06).

06 Thomas Everett Vaughan

He is the one who started the Eldon High School and led it for almost twenty years. You can read about him at these two previous Progress Notes:

- June 30, 2008

- July 14, 2008

The amazing thing about T.E. Vaughan is that he was one of nineteen children who were raised in somewhat deprived circumstances on a farm up the Osage River road toward Bagnell about six miles from Tuscumbia. His father, Wilson Vaughan, was a respected farmer, and must have had some positive influence on his children since all of them were successful in their own lives. An article in the Autogram in 1940 on the occasion of Wilson’s ninetieth birthday is of some interest:

Tuscumbia Autogram
December 5, 1940.

Wilson Vaughan is 90 Years Old Today (photo 07)

07 Wilson Milton Vaughan

Wilson Milton Vaughan, Tuscumbia’s oldest resident, is receiving the congratulations of his many relatives and friends today, December 5th, in celebration of his ninetieth birthday. Mr. Vaughan has spent all his life in Missouri and the greater part of it in Miller County near Tuscumbia. For many years he was a prominent Osage River farmer and once owned a hotel and livery stable in Tuscumbia. Not so many years ago, Mr. Vaughan established the reputation of this section’s best watermelon grower and for years shipped melons by the carload. He informed us not so long ago that when he first started raising watermelons they sold for as high as one dollar each, but that during the past few years melons had not done so well in this area. Wilson Vaughan’s melons were known everywhere and his name became a trademark for buyers.

Mr. Vaughan, until the past few years when his eyesight has failed him, always took an active part in the civic affairs of his community and county. He served for years as a road overseer and school director and as a member of the Miller County court. Although his eyesight is failing, he is still in excellent health and may be seen almost daily walking down town from the Jim Musick residence, where he makes his home. His daughter is Jim’s wife. He still takes a great interest in community and national affairs and keeps well informed on the war and political situation here and abroad. He gets a great deal of enjoyment out of the radio, one of his main diversions being listening to prize fights. He is not as spry as he was several years ago and walks with a cane, but insists always that if his eyes were good, the cane would be thrown away.

Mr. Vaughan is the father of nineteen children, fourteen of whom are living. The living children are: T.E.(Everett), assistant secretary of the Missouri State Teacher’s Association at Columbia; T.J.(Theron), of Kansas City, Kansas; Mrs. Teressea Boswell, of Vinita, Oklahoma; Lafe of Fulton; F.E. (Floyd), farmer of near town; Mrs. Tony Hessefort (Pauline), of Versailles; Mrs. Cora Hickey of Iberia; Mrs. Charley (Bertha) Flaugher; Mrs. Jim (Dean) Musick; Mrs. Claud (Golda) McDowell; Aubrey; Oval; Robert and Harold, of Tuscumbia.

Five children, Mrs. Will (Ethel) Bassman, who died at Union; Eric, who died in Iowa; and three who died in infancy, have passed on. There are sixty two grandchildren and a number of great grandchildren living.

Since retiring from his Gum Creek farm, Mr. Vaughan has made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Jim Musick. He visits often with his children and grandchildren and takes a great deal of pride in them.

Mr. Vaughan’s recipe for long life is simple. He is a firm believer in clean living, has never smoked in his life and, when possible, takes his walk every day. He has always been careful about his eating and his visits to the doctor have been very rare. He has been ill very few days of his life.

The Autogram joins the many relatives and friends of Mr. Vaughan in congratulating him on this ninetieth birthday, and extending best wishes with the sincere hop that he may live to celebrate his hundredth anniversary, and many more.

As it turns out, Wilson lived nine more years after his ninetieth birthday. Here is his obituary which I found as a clipping but without attribution to the newspaper from which it was taken:

News Item and Obituary: Unknown Publication, October 1950:

One of Miller County’s oldest citizens, if not the oldest, passed away last Sunday at the age of 99 years and 10 months. He was Mr. Wilson M. Vaughan who had been making his home with the John Moneymakers of RFD 2, Brumley. Funeral services were held last Tuesday at the Tuscumbia Baptist Church at 2 p.m., the Rev. Frank Chase officiating. Interment was made in the Scott Cemetery near Tuscumbia. Arrangements were under direction of Hedges Funeral Home of Iberia, Mo.

Obituary: Unknown Publication

Wilson M. Vaughan, son of Joshaua and Elizabeth Vaughan, was born Dec. 5, 1850 in Moniteau County, Mo., and passed away Sunday, Oct. 15, 1950, at the John Moneymaker home, Rt. 2, Brumley, Mo., at the age of 99 years, 10 months and 10 days.

In 1874 he was united in marriage to Rachel Jane Scott, and to this union 8 children were born. In 1896, he was united in marriage to Destia (Dusty) Lee Dobson with whom he had eleven children. Preceding him in death were 3 sisters and 7 brothers. He is survived by 14 children. Five preceded him in death. Also surviving are 67 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren and many other relatives and friends.

We had a good crowd at our annual ice cream social last Saturday, July 09, 2011, with people coming in throughout the day (photos 08 and 09).

08 Ice Cream Social

09 Ice Cream Social Guests

Joe Jeffries and his country music group played from 11:20 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. (photo 10):

10 Joe Jeffries Group

The homemade ice cream made by Vice President Carl McDonald and his crew was enjoyed by everyone on a very hot day. Numerous other kinds of homemade desserts also were offered.

I talked with many visitors throughout the day. For quite a few the visit was their first to the museum. One of our visitors was Tuscumbia native Tom Graves who brought a knife he made from one of the old 1933 bridge iron struts acquired from some of the debris left over after the bridge implosion last year by MODOT. Here is a photo of Tom with the knife and the iron bridge strut from which the knife was made (photo 11):

11 Tom Graves

The next photo is a close-up of the knife (photo 12):

12 Deer Antler Handled Knife

Tom carved the deer antler handle himself as well as shaped the metal blade from the iron bridge strut. The next photo is of the knife in a leather sheaf which Tom also made (photo 13):

13 Knife in Leather Sheaf

These items Tom donated to our museum for which we are very grateful. Tom is a master knife builder and his gift is considered a real honor.

That’s all for this week.

Joe Pryor

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