Family History Writing Challenge Day 22

Isaiah Williamson, owner of Murdoch Farm from 1878 until he sold it to James Farrar in 1888, died in Philadelphia on March 7, 1889 at the age of 86. He left an estate valued at over $10 million, which was primarily distributed to charities, though he did bequeath some cash to his siblings, nieces and nephews as he had no wife or children of his own. Part of the estate taken into consideration was the loan he had issued to Charles T. Farrar for the purchase of Murdoch Farm from James Farrar.

Charles T. Farrar

Charles Farrar was still involved in real estate, now owning the firm of Farrar & Tate with Frank R. Tate. Charles Farrar established the Shrewsbury Park Land and Improvement Company for the purpose of developing the land once belonging to John Murdoch. Farrar served as President, Frank R. Tate as Secretary, and Seddon & Blair as attorneys. Later Tate was named Vice President, and Joseph E. Gorman joined the firm as Secretary.

Murdoch Farm was renamed Shrewsbury Park by the company, which quickly expended $25,000 in grading the streets, putting in sidewalks, and planting trees and shrubs. The May 29, 1888 St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the "location is well elevated on the 'Frisco, between Harlem Heights and Old Orchard, at an altitude that affords an extended view of the surrounding country."

On May 22, 1889 Charles Farrar and his wife, Nancy Gorman Farrar, sold the land they had purchased from James Farrar in 1888 to the Shrewsbury Park Land and Improvement Company for $79,800. The first subdivision of Shrewsbury Park was platted on June 17, 1889 and subdivided into lots measuring 50' x 150', with the second, third and fourth subdivisions quickly following. Farrar and Tate were busy urging St. Louis residents who could pay $10 down and $10 a month to avoid "all the discomforts of the city, viz.: excessive taxation, noise, smoke, soot, heat in the summer, crowds, bad odors and infectious diseases" by moving to "the country", and specifically to the Shrewsbury Park subdivision laid out on the Murdoch Farm. The cost of each lot was $100. When the fourth subdivision was ready to be sold, the pricing was set at $5 down and $5 per month for the lots were that were located within the St. Louis City limits because they were subject to "excessive city taxes." Additionally,  Shrewsbury Park Land and Improvement Company paid the taxes for two years on the city lots.

Shrewsbury Train Depot

The real estate developers, Farrar and Tate, placed ads in the newspaper to entice city dwellers to come and visit Shrewsbury Park. The two men even commissioned Carroll F. Mulkey to compose music to charm the visitors. The result was the Shrewsbury Waltz. People from the city read the news releases supplied by Farrar & Tate, and they road the commuter trains for a first hand look at the property. There were fifty-six commuter trains each day, with a fare of six cents. The development company made the trip convenient by having a station built right in Shrewsbury Park. The Shrewsbury Train Depot was on the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company line.

St. Louis Exposition & Music Hall

Farrar and Tate were looking for ways to promote Shrewsbury Park, and they found an opportunity in the St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall Association which held an annual exposition showcasing the achievements of the St. Louis area. Taking place in a building constructed in 1884 at a cost of $750,000, the autumn fair was very popular with locals and tourists alike. For their display in 1889, they created an exact reproduction miniature of Shrewsbury Park.

Shrewsbury Park miniature

Perhaps the exhibition paid off for them. On September 22, 1889 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reported the sale of lots in Shrewsbury Park. Many transactions had taken place during the month, with sales totaling nearly $12,000.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 21

The estate of Charles K. Dickson was settled in 1890, and James Eads and Barton Bates were discharged as executors of the estate. The final settlement indicated that they were owed over $46,000, and there is nothing showing that they were ever paid for their services. The estate of Murdoch & Dickson was still open as of 1914, forty-three years following the death of Dickson, which necessitated the dissolution of the firm.

Isaiah Williamson

But what happened to Murdoch Farm, the 226-acre property that John Murdoch lost on the courthouse steps in 1878 due to his inability to pay the loan he took out against the property? Isaiah Williamson bought the farm at auction on Wednesday, May 22, 1878 for $23,000. Williamson, the man to whom Murdoch owed the money on the loan, was a Philadelphia businessman who began investing his money in real estate and promising enterprises. By 1880 he was one of the wealthiest men in Philadelphia. Perhaps that is why he could hold onto property in the St. Louis area for the amount of time that he did. It is possible that he hired people to farm the lands in the meantime. Because it wasn't until April 2, 1888 - nearly ten years after he bought the farm - that he sold 222 and 577/1000 acres of the property to James S. Farrar through a Deed of Record at a price of $66,000. The remaining acres were exempt, with three acres going to the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway Co., and 1/2 acre going to a Mrs. Bluitt because Murdoch had given the land to her. (It would be interesting to know if she was once one of the slaves that he owned.)

On that same day, a Deed of Trust indicates that James S. Farrar sold the property to Charles T. Farrar and James T. Blair as parties of the second part, with Isaiah Williamson as party of the third part. James S. Farrar was for a number of years a judge in the St. Louis County court system. In 1875 he then went into business with Charles T. Farrar, forming Farrar & Co. The business specialized in buying and selling real estate, collecting rents, and negotiating loans secured by real property.

Charles T. Farrar had big plans for the old Murdoch Farm.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 16

Pitzman's Atlas of St. Louis 1878

Pitzman's New Atlas of the City and County of Saint Louis, Missouri 1878 clearly shows the areas of land owned by John Murdoch at the time the survey was taken. Julius Pitzman was the St. Louis County surveyor until the split of the city from the county. At that time he became the surveyor for the City of St. Louis.

Outlined in red is the property of Murdoch. On the bottom part of the map you can see the areas that he had subdivided. Some of these lots may have been sold off by the time this survey was taken in 1878.

According to Gould's St. Louis Directory, in 1878 John Murdoch was still residing on his farm in St. Louis County. He remained employed by O.J. Lewis & Co. as an auctioneer.

On May 2, 1878 in St. Louis County Deed Book 6, page 485 a Trustee Sale was filed by Benjamin Farrar. It listed a property description of Murdoch Farm, including the 226 acres, mansion and outbuildings, and further stated that Murdoch was still residing on the premises. John Murdoch had not paid the loan, interest or taxes on the property, thus putting him in default. The document detailed the auction of Murdoch Farm to be held on May 22nd at the eastern front door of the St. Louis City Courthouse between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., where the auctioneer will "proceed to sell the above described property at public auction to the highest bidder for cash to satisfy said note and interest and taxes and the costs and expenses of executing said deed."  The Trustee Sale was published in the St. Louis Daily Journal twenty-one times, beginning on May 2, 1878 with the last insertion appearing on May 22, 1878.

Isaiah Williamson was the highest and last bidder, paying $23,000 for the land, and a Deed transferring the property to him was signed on May 22, 1878. The 226 acre farm, mansion and outbuildings of John Murdoch now belonged to Isaiah Williamson. Murdoch literally lost the farm on the courthouse steps.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 11

St. Louis had a population of 310,864 residents in 1870, an increase of 93% over the 1860 census! It was now the fourth largest city in the United States, behind Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. The next decade would show a continuation of impressive development in St. Louis. The City's limits reached 17.98 square miles, with a record high 58 subdivisions platted in 1870. Improvements in machinery caused industries to boom in North America, and St. Louis was no exception. This brought another influx of immigrants to the area, predominantly Germans and Irish. By 1870, Lemp Brewery was the largest brewery in St. Louis and controlled the lion's share of the market, and St. Louis became the first American city to legalize prostitution.

With the death of his business partner early in 1871, these things were probably of little concern to John Murdoch as he fought to save his business. Because Murdoch & Dickson was established as a partnership, the company dissolved on the day that Dickson died. On March 31, 1871, Murdoch qualified as surviving partner to administer the partnership estate in the probate court of the City of St. Louis. He posted a bond in the amount of $125,000, with James B. Eads and Barton Bates as sureties. (These same two men were handling the estate of Charles Dickson.) Shortly thereafter he filed an inventory of the assets of the business with the probate court.

Unfortunately, at this point in time the liabilities outweighed the assets of the company. Dickson himself was owed over $84,000 at the time of his death, and the firm was also indebted to James Eads in the amount of $34,000 and $5,000 to Barton Bates. The total indebtedness of the company was around $280,000. It is uncertain how the firm came to be in such dismal financial straights, but Murdoch was committed to trying to pay off the debt. This came at a cost to his personal financial situation.

On May 1, 1871 John and Julia Murdoch signed a Deed of Trust with Franklin A. Dick and Benjamin Farrar as parties of the second part, and Isaiah V. Williamson of the City of Philadelphia as party of the third part. Benjamin Farrar was an attorney and also Assistant Treasurer of the United States in St. Louis, and Franklin Dick practiced law in St. Louis as well. Isaiah Williamson owned a dry goods store in Philadelphia, and died a multi-millionaire in 1889. The purpose of the deed was to guarantee a $30,000 loan that was taken out on Murdoch Farm.  The loan was for a period of three years at an interest rate of 8%. Three parcels of land are outlined in the deed, consisting of 226.077 acres. One of the three parcels included the house where the Murdochs made their home and the farm's outbuilding. In the event that Murdoch failed to make a payment of the principal or interest, or to properly insure the property, the land was to be sold at public auction to the highest bidder.

John Murdoch was losing his business. Would he be able to hold onto his land?