The Beginnings of Three Towns
Watch for the asterisks: Notes in italics represent information and comments made by Edna's oldest daughter, Valma Drexler Cabage, as she listened to this letter.
To the Editor of The Jimplicute, Scott City, Mo.
Dear Editor,
I want to tell the story of the beginnings of our three towns, Illmo, Scott City (Edna-Fornfelt) and Ancell. I lived not more than three miles from all the happenings that were taking place in these towns. It was so exciting to me to hear all the stories about the new people and the new buildings in town.
Scott City was called Edna then. I was fascinated with this queer little town. Large numbers of railroad men and their families were coming into town and there were no houses for them. So all sorts of buildings were hastily put up for them; some were no more than sheds. But the people lived in anything they could find until better houses could be built. Business came, too. They had to use makeshift buildings at first. People had to have food and clothing.
In 1905 I moved to Scott City, and I saw many changes take place in the three towns. In Scott City, known at this time as Fornfelt, the main street was divided by the railroad into the North and South Main Streets. On the south side of Main Street there were quite a few businesses. A big two-story building had a grocery and clothing store on the first floor, and the Methodist Church held services on the second floor.*
Then there was a butcher shop. Mr. Bollinger, who came from Grays Point, ran the shop. There was the shoe repair shop of Mr. Gibson. On the street behind South Main Street was the McGaugh Boarding House and the Losse Saloon** and Dance Hall.
The rest of the area had tents and shacks scattered about. North Main Street had a bank and a drug store*** and the big Baudendistel**** store that had everything for sale: clothing , groceries, and furniture. Also, there were about five saloons located about the town.*****
Illmo was named in honor of the big railroad bridge across the Mississippi River joining the two states of Illinois and Missouri.
Ancell was hardly a town in those days. As a child of five years I remember going with my father to the railroad depot there. My father backed his wagon up to the freight platform of the depot to pick up a trunk belonging to my aunt. She had come to visit us. Only a few houses were built here and there in Ancell, and it was later on that Mr. Arnold set up a business (a general store). It is my opinion that his brothers were in business with him then.
It was a happy time for me watching three towns grow. Many, many changes had come with the years. More homes, nice ones, had been built and the coming of the big railroad roundhouse and the box factory gave people more jobs and brought new people to the towns. All the improvements today (approximately 1983) make me remember yesteryears.
*Edna’s sister Lois Smith and her husband, Grover, lived on the south side and had a very nice house which burned down.
**Valma knew Juanita Losse, whose father was Al Losse. May Losse, Juanita’s mother, later ran a boarding house on the north side after the other place burned down and they also had a saloon over there. Juanita married the banker's brother and this was considered quite a “step up” for her. She was a nervous girl who had allergies. The boarding house was next door to the saloon and housed men who frequented the saloon.
*** It was Coy Drug Store and the Tomlinsons ran the bank.
**** Baudendistel is a German surname. The Baudendistel was a general store that had dry goods and groceries and they delivered your goods. People bought there on credit
***** There was a lot of drunkedness.
Sincerely, Edna Drexler