Family History Writing Challenge Day 22

St. Louis home

Once baby LeRoy gained a sufficient amount of weight, he and Catherine were able to travel by train to St. Louis, where they set up their household on the south side of town. The house was located in Lemay on Perrin Avenue, close to Notre Dame High School and Jefferson Barracks. Once a single-family home, this house had been converted to a rooming house to meet the needs of soldiers and their families. The Kublers made the most of their time in St. Louis, enjoying Forest Park and the zoo, among other attractions.

bear at the St. Louis Zoo

By October of 1943, Catherine was expecting a second child and received medical care at St. Louis University Hospital. Coincidentally her brother-in-law Kevin McGann, who was married to Roy’s sister Jane, was training as a family practice resident at St. Louis University. Catherine always requested not to be seen by Kevin. She thought it was a little too personal to share that kind of exam with Kevin!

In May of 1944, Roy was given his orders to report to Greensboro, North Carolina to prepare for overseas training. At this time the family had a car, so Roy drove Catherine and LeRoy back to Cincinnati. Most of the trip was made during the night. With the rationing of gas and tires, the long road trip found Roy patching and borrowing tires along the way due to frequent blowouts. At one point, the car was making a funny noise. As Catherine drove, Roy stood outside on the running board listening to the engine. Little LeRoy stood on the seat saying, “Bye-bye, Daddy. Bye-bye, Daddy.” Catherine thought he was waving to his daddy out the window. A few miles passed before she realized Roy was no longer on the running board but had fallen off. It probably was a pretty quiet drive back to Cincinnati after that. Catherine and LeRoy moved in with her parents, Michael and Mayme Crusham (who still had five children living at home!), and Roy headed off to Greensboro.

LeRoy and Roy

During his overseas training at the Eastern Overseas Replacement Depot in Greensboro, Roy’s daughter, Kathleen Mary, was born in Cincinnati. He was not given any leave time. Upon completion of his training later in June, he was sent to Norfolk, Virginia to ship out. 

USS Anderson

In late June, Roy boarded the USS General A.E. Anderson (AP-111), captained by William Miller. On 29 June 1944, his twenty-seventh birthday, the ship left port headed for Bombay, India. While on the ship Roy quickly learned that the food available to the troops was not that good. With his experience in cooking at Jefferson Barracks, he arranged to help out in the kitchen on the ship. He received much better food and was able to get to know the officers on the ship. 

The USS Anderson passed through the Panama Canal on the 4th of July, and crossed the Equator on July 8th and the International Date Line on the 18th. It made a brief two day stop in Melbourne, Australia before arriving in Bombay on 7 August 1944.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 21

1007 Regina Avenue

Roy and Catherine tried to settle into their new lives living with Roy's parents, Joseph and Lillian (Hungler) Kubler following their 17 January 1942 wedding. While Roy's older sister Ethel was married and living elsewhere at the time, his younger sisters Jane and Gloria were still living at home. But a new reality came crashing in on 30 January when Roy received his Notice of Classification from the government. Listed as a Class I-A, he was certified as available and fit for general military service. Things moved quickly after that.

Roy was ordered to report for his physical at 7:00 a.m. on 6 February 1942 at Carson School on Glenway Avenue. Upon passing the test and the physical, he knew it was now only a question of time before he would be ordered to report for duty. He was willing to serve his country, and he elected to go into the U.S. Army Air Forces, the predecessor of the U.S. Air Force. He then awaited orders to proceed to a Reception Center, where he would complete records, be issued individual equipment, be given immunizations for smallpox and typhoid, and then be forwarded to a tactical unit or other installation. In the meantime, he received a Notice of Continuation of Classification.

Fort Thomas

Two months into their marriage, Roy received orders to report to nearby Fort Thomas, Kentucky, leaving his new bride behind in the household of her in-laws at 1007 Regina Avenue. Located about 6 miles south of Cincinnati, Fort Thomas was established as a military base in 1890, and was reactivated in 1941 as an Army reception and induction center for WWII. Following a short stay at Fort Thomas, Roy was sent by train to Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis to begin his military training. It was here that he learned how to march, shoot, pitch a tent, make a bed (military-style), offer basic first aid, read a map, and defend himself against chemical attacks. He also learned that he was to become a father!

the cook

Beginning as a private with an occupation of Basic Infantry, Roy was promoted after two months to private first class. On September 19, 1942 Captain George Weber, the commanding officer, promoted Roy to corporal. During this time period Roy was a cook at Jefferson Barracks. His mother's cooking instructions paid off for him. With a baby on the way, for extra money he would operate the movie projector at the base on the weekends.

In late September, Roy received a Western Union telegram from his mother notifying him of the birth of his son. LeRoy Charles Kubler was born prematurely on 29 September, weighing just 4 pounds, 4 ounces.

Western Union telegram

Family History Writing Challenge Day 20

Roy 1925

As previously mentioned, my father LeRoy was the second child and only son of Joseph and Lillian (Hungler) Kubler. He was born 29 June 1917. His older sister Ethel was 4 at the time. His mother treated him no differently than his older sister, so by the time the other two girls came along Roy, as he was called by his family, could cook and clean as well as the women in his house. He attended whatever Catholic elementary school happened to be closest to the family home at the time, and he very much enjoyed music. He could be found playing a musical instrument and singing with the band whenever his father's current job offered the opportunity to do so. His love of music stayed with him his entire life.

Railway Express Agency

As a teenager, Roy worked many different jobs including employment with the Cincinnati Reds and as a pin setter at a bowling alley. Following graduation from Elder High School, Roy went to work for the Railway Express Agency, a company established by the U.S. government in 1917 to provide small package and parcel transportation using existing railways. Roy's position as an assorter entailed routing packages through the express terminal. This position would launch his career in the freight industry, which he worked in for the next several decades.

The 1940 federal census indicates that Roy was living at home with his parents and two younger sisters. His older sister, Ethel, had gotten married the previous year.

Roy and Catherine

He met his future wife when he was out driving with a friend one pretty spring afternoon in 1941. Catherine Crusham, age 20, was standing on a street corner with her cousin Joan when the two young men happened to pass by. As Roy's friend was acquainted with Joan, they stopped the car to chat. The rest, as they say, is history. Roy was immediately attracted to Catherine's red hair and sparkling green eyes, and she to his tall stature and quick wit. The two began dating, and Roy was quickly swept up in the boisterous Crusham clan. Catherine was the third oldest of 8 children. She had dropped out of high school after completing her junior year in order to help support the family. She worked at a sporting goods manufacturing factory sewing basketballs.

But 1941 was not all fun and happy times. World War II was ever-present on the minds of Americans, and Roy registered for the draft that year. His draft card was #317. The Selective Service Training and Service Act of 1940 created the country's first peacetime draft. All males ages 21-36 were required to register for service, complete a physical, and take a written exam to determine who was qualified for military duty. After the testing was complete, the men were placed into categories, or classes, with Class I being the best qualified.

wedding day

With the bombing of Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 it became abundantly clear to everyone that the United States was going to enter the war. Roy proposed to Catherine, and on 10 January 1942 the couple applied for a marriage license. Roy and Catherine were married quietly, or so they thought, on 17 January 1942 at Resurrection Church in Cincinnati, with only Catherine’s sister Margaret Crusham and their brother-in-law Lawrence Wambaugh in attendance. They soon found that there are no secrets in the Crusham household. One of the siblings had seen the required announcement in the newspaper and alerted the rest of the family. A wedding reception was quickly put together by the family, lasting into the wee hours of the morning.

The bride and groom retired to the home of Joseph and Lillian (Hungler) Kubler. But they did not get to stay together for too long.

It's a New Year

For 2016 I am participating in "365 Days of Free Writing, Creativity & Storytelling Inspiration" with Tanya Taylor Rubinstein. Sometimes we all need a little help with ideas for our writing. It seemed like it would be helpful to me to use the writing prompts for my blog posts, so here we go with day 1. Today's assignment is to talk about what I most essentially want to express, at this moment in my life. Further, I am to write for ten minutes without stopping, judging or editing. So here goes...

St. Louis Flood 2015

New Year’s Day is a day of new beginnings, starting over and taking a fresh look at your life. Because St. Louis has been faced with so much devastation in light of the recent floods, my new year begins with a deep sigh of gratitude that we were not personally impacted by the flood waters. Sure, there are minor inconveniences as three of the major interstates and numerous ancillary highways were forced to close, so traffic routes were diverted. But we didn't have to evacuate our home and wonder what would be left when it was finally safe to return. Many people in our area are not beginning the new year by making resolutions such as how much weight they want to lose or how many times they will commit to go to the gym. Instead they are looking for a new place to live, or trying to replace their basic necessities. Many don’t know if they will have a job to come back to as their place of employment is still under water.

I drove around the area today to see first hand some of the areas that were most impacted by the flood. Somehow when you watch it on television, it is almost like it isn't real. But to be close enough to put your hand in the quick-flowing water quickly makes it a reality.

So I will begin 2016 thanking God for all the goodness he has provided to me and my family, and praying for all those who have not been so fortunate.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 15

The fire that destroyed John Murdoch's barn on October 4, 1877 gave rise to a lawsuit that was filed on April 30, 1878. Franklin A. Dick filed suit against the Franklin Fire Insurance Company, which on April 24, 1874 issued a policy on the barn (and probably the other structures on Murdoch Farm as well). The policy, by its terms, insured F.A. Dick and Ben Farrar, trustees of Isaiah V. Williamson, against loss or damage by fire, to the amount of $3,500 on their interest under a deed of trust in a certain building in St. Louis County. The insurance company was contesting that Dick and Farrar had an insurable interest in the covered property.

The interest of Dick and Farrar in the insured premises was that of trustee under a deed of trust executed on May 1, 1871 by John J. Murdoch and wife to them, to secure a loan of $30,000 made by Isaiah V. Williamson to Murdoch for a period of five years. The interest rate was eight per cent per annum, payable semi-annually; the principal of debt being evidenced by a note of $30,000 due in five years, and the interest by ten notes for $1,200 each, maturing successively at every six months after the date of the loan.

May 1 1871 Deed of Trust

Among the other covenants of the grantors of the deed of trust was the following: “And also to keep the buildings on said premises insured for a sum of not less than $16,000, until said noted be paid, in a company or companies satisfactory to the party of the third part [Williamson], the policy or policies of insurance to be assigned or made payable to the party of the second part [Dick & Farrar], and the money collected thereon in case of fire, to be held until said building be rebuilt by said first parties [Murdochs], as collateral security for said note, and when rebuilt shall be applied in payment of such rebuilding. If such insurance be not kept up, the party of the third part may pay the necessary premium therefore, and all sums so paid shall be held secured by the deed of trust, for the repayment of which and ten per cent per annum interest thereon said premises may be sold as below provided. Any failure by said first party to comply with any of the provisions of this deed of trust shall, at the option of the third party, make said principal notes immediately due.”

The court ruled in favor of Franklin Dick, and Franklin Insurance Company appealed. The Missouri Court of Appeals on May 31, 1881 ruled that a trustee in a deed of trust in the nature of a mortgage has an insurable interest in the property covered thereby distinct from that of the mortgagor. The Missouri Appellate Court has held that the mere fact that, under the terms of a fire insurance policy, the loss is made payable to a third person, gives such person a prima facie interest in the insurance contract, although he may have no insurable interest in the property insured. "And where a debtor’s interest in property insured, the loss being made payable to the creditor, the latter has a valid interest in the insurance contract, the debtor being a mere trustee for him. The fact that an insurer had opportunity to inquire, if it wished, as to the interest of the assured, and that it issues him a policy, is prima facie evidence of his insurable interest, placing the burden on the insurer to disprove it."

Within the ruling of the appellate court was a new piece of information about Murdoch's financial situation.

Before the policy was written, namely the fifth day of May 1873, Murdock [sic] and his wife executed a second deed of trust, by which they conveyed the premises in question to Robert M. Renick, as trustee for David H. Armstrong, to secure the latter against a liability which he had incurred to the extent of over $30,000, as indorser for Murdock [sic]. Moreover, the answer alleges, and the reply does not deny - and it must, therefore, be taken as true - that on December 20, 1873, Murdock [sic] sold and conveyed all his right, title, and interest in and to the premises, to John G. Priest, and that Murdock [sic] has had no interest in the premises, or in any part of them, since that time. There is evidence that all the premiums necessary to keep the policy in force were paid by Dick and Farrar, but were repaid to them by Armstrong, the second mortgagee. 

When the deed of trust matured, namely, on May 1, 1876, Armstrong, to protect his own interest, entered into a written contract with Williamson, in which he assumed and agreed to pay the debt secured by the deed of trust, and by which Williamson extended the time of payment for two years longer, namely until May 1, 1878, at the same rate of interest, for which Armstrong gave to Williamson four notes for $1,200 each, maturing successively every six months thereafter.

It now appears that in addition to owing Isaiah Williamson $30,000 plus interest, Murdoch also was in debt to David H. Armstrong in an amount exceeding $30,000.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 14

According to notices in the St. Louis Republican, John Murdoch's farm and property were being auctioned off on the City of St. Louis courthouse steps on November 3, 1874. What happened on that day remains a mystery. Did no one come out to bid? Was there a minimum bid that did not get met? Or perhaps Murdoch came up with some money to keep the creditors at bay? What is known is that John Murdoch continued to work as an auctioneer for O.J. Lewis & Co., the firm that took over the business of Murdoch & Dickson, and his residence was still listed as Laclede Station in the 1875-1879 Gould's St. Louis Directories.

1876 map of St. Louis

St. Louis was undergoing some trying times of its own. Prior to 1877, St. Louis County included the City of St. Louis plus all the other areas within the county boundaries. The county seat was located in the City of St. Louis. But St. Louis City taxpayers decided in 1876 that they did not want to continue to support the cost of ongoing expansion in the county, and they voted to separate from St. Louis County. Often dubbed "The Great Divorce", the separation froze the boundaries of the City and at the time made it the only city in the United States not associated with a county. The population of St. Louis City in 1876 was 310,000 while the county had only 27,000 residents. John Murdoch now was working for a business in the city, while his residence came under the jurisdiction of the new county government center.

In 1877, John Murdoch once again appeared in the local newspaper. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat reported on October 4, 1877 that there had been a fire at Murdoch's farm - the third such fire in as many years. The article states that the fires had each been of "mysterious origin." It further indicated that the barn was "partially insured."

Murdoch Farm fire

The fire in 1877 gave rise to a lawsuit in which more of the precarious financial situation of the Murdochs became revealed.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 12

For two years John Murdoch handled the responsibilities of administering the Murdoch & Dickson partnership estate. But on October 14, 1873 he executed a deed of assignment of the partnership assets to John G. Priest for the benefit of creditors of Murdoch & Dickson. Through this assignment he undertook to convey to Priest as assignee all of his own property for the benefit pro rata of his individual creditors, and all of the property of the firm of Murdoch & Dickson for the benefit pro rata of the creditors of the firm. Subsequently in that same year, failing to obey an order of the court to give an additional bond as surviving partner, Murdoch was removed as administrator of the estate of Murdoch & Dickson. The Southwestern Reporter, in giving an overview of a lawsuit that was filed many years later, stated, "From the record facts before us, we have no doubt that the firm owed in excess of its assets and was insolvent."

James Eads and Barton Bates, as Trustees of the estate of Charles K. Dickson, were provided with the following accounting of the assets of the firm of Murdoch & Dickson. The amount of $93, 237.47 is shown, and a note below it states "subject to credits and debits." This was presumably provided to them by Priest.

Balance sheet of Murdoch & Dickson

John Priest, in the meantime, proceeded with his assignment, collecting assets, allowing claims, and disbursing moneys. Priest remained in the assignment capacity until 1888. At that time he applied for discharge from those responsibilities.

John Murdoch continued to work in the auctioneering business. A Tour of St. Louis or the Inside of a Great City by Joseph A. Dacus and James William Buel, published in 1878, had an accounting of the auctioneering firm of O.J. Lewis & Co.

In St. Louis there are several large auction houses, but the chief one among the many, representative of the West, is the immense house of O. J. Lewis & Co., No. 417 North Fifth Street. The present firm is the successor of Murdock & Dickson, who established business in 1836 at No. 204 and 206 North Main Street, at that time the center of the jobbing trade of the city, where they did a very large business. In the year 1873 Mr. O. J. Lewis purchased the entire interest in the concern, when the name of the firm was changed to its present title.

Because Murdoch & Dickson was in the process of liquidation, it would be interesting to know what, exactly, O.J. Lewis was able to purchase in 1873. Perhaps it was just the expertise of John Murdoch, as future city directories have him listed as working as an auctioneer with O.J. Lewis & Co. Lewis experienced great success with the business, moving it to a six story building consisting of twenty-seven thousand square feet.

While it must have been exciting to work for a company experiencing such growth, one can only imagine what it was like for Murdoch, who had always been his own boss, to no longer be the one calling the shots.

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?

Family History Writing Challenge Day 9

The portion of the Pitzman's 1868 map of St. Louis pictured below shows some of the property in St. Louis County that was owned by John Murdoch, as well as a piece of land held by Murdoch & Dickson.

Murdoch Farm 1868

Murdoch's Farm was described in John Thomas Scharf's book, History of St. Louis City and County as containing orchards in addition to farmland, and Murdoch himself was mentioned in the section of the book discussing Richard J. Lockwood, who lived near Murdoch.

John Murdoch

Despite his apparent skills in business and farming, in 1869 Murdoch had his land surveyed and platted his farm. On April 28, 1869 an ad appeared in the real estate section of the Missouri Democrat offering the 350 acres of Murdoch Farm, divided into about five acres each, for sale at auction on May 10th. The ad read, in part, "This property is that high and beautiful ground south of Laclede Station by the property of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart....Is all under fence and mostly in cultivation and is the well known farm of John J Murdock. The mansion and the fifty acres of ground will be reserved and the balance sold to the highest bidder."

While some of the acreage sold, the vast majority of it did not, at least in 1869. The 1870 census indicated that John Murdoch, at age 55, was still living in St. Louis County with his 34-year-old wife, Julia. They had the following children: John age 11, Mary age 8, Emma age 6, George age 4, William age 2, and Joseph age 3 months. There are also four female servants listed, but no laborers. Murdoch's profession was listed as merchant, with real estate valued at $125,000 and $4,060 in his personal estate.

The firm of Murdoch and Dickson was still listed in the 1870 Edwards St. Louis Directory as being located at 204 & 206 N Main, and Murdoch was shown residing at Laclede Station Road P.R.R., reinforcing that he was still living on the farm.

On May 20, 26 & 30, 1870 postings appeared in the Missouri Republican advertising the sale of lots at Murdoch Farm. The number of available acres listed is 260, down from the originally advertised 350.

May 20th ad

May 20th ad continued

May 26th ad

May 30th ad

It is interesting to note that in the May 30th ad, the real estate auctioneers were serving lunch to anyone who came to look at the property. By September, lots were still be sold as indicated in this listing of Real Estate Transfers in September 26, 1870 Missouri Republican.

September 26, 1870

These two lots contain over 7 acres, and sold for $928. This transfer did not fall within the confines of the advertisements, which indicated that lots would be sold in 5 acre increments. These lots were located just south of what appears to be the actual farm land on the 1869 plat, so perhaps that is the explanation for the variance of acres sold.

Little by little, the life's work of John Murdoch was being whittled away. In 1871 he would lose something much more important to him and his family than the land they were living on.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 8

St. Louis circa 1870, Murdoch & Dickson offices at #9 on map

The financial status of St. Louis was certainly impacted by the Civil War. The war years brought a cessation of river traffic, resulting in St. Louis being cut off from its traditional and most lucrative markets in the south. This in turn harmed the local businesses. The decrease in steamboat traffic particularly caused the downtown levy to decline in importance at St. Louis. After forty years of nearly uninterrupted growth, this was traumatic for the city.

Additionally, there were allegations of impropriety within the U.S. Army Quartermaster's office under the command of Justus McKinstry. His administration was accused of fraud and abuse, with local businessmen bearing the brunt of the corruption. As the firm of Murdoch & Dickson was engaged in supplying everything from clothes to shoes and boots to dry goods, it is highly possible that the firm was a victim of this deception. Their real estate investments would also be a problem due to the fact that the war brought a virtual halt to construction in St. Louis.

1867 Deed

The first inkling of trouble for the firm came in the form of a deed that was entered on May 29, 1867. Charles and Mary Dickson along with John and Julia Murdoch were the parties of the first part, and James Eads and Charles Stevens were parties of the second part. Party of the third part was Barton Bates. Murdoch and Dickson owed Bates $25,000, and they did not have the resources to pay him back. A lot in Block 89 of the City of St. Louis was conveyed to Eads and Stevens to be held in Trust on behalf of Murdoch and Dickson. If the $25,000 was paid to Bates in five, $5,000 notes plus 8% interest, then the land would convert back to Murdoch and Dickson. If the payments were not made, then the land would be sold by Eads and Stevens at auction to satisfy the debt.

James Eads was an important businessman in St. Louis, having arrived in the city was he was just thirteen years old. A self-taught engineer, he began his business life by rescuing wrecked boats and cargo from the Mississippi River. This proved to be lucrative as insurance companies would pay him a percentage of any recovered goods. He then put these skills to work constructing ironclad gunboats for the War Department during the Civil War. In 1867, he formed an organization dedicated to building a bridge across the Mississippi River in St. Louis. Charles Dickson was very instrumental in the organization, which is probably the reason that Eads got involved in this Deed.

But it is this quote from the 1991 book Yankee Merchants and the Making of the Urban West by Jeffrey Adler that offers the best explanation of why a firm with the successful record of Murdoch & Dickson discovered its foundation crumbling around it.

Would the firm be able to recover from the disaster encountered by the east coast investor?

Family History Writing Challenge Day 6

Since Missouri was initially settled by southerners coming up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, it entered the Union in 1821 as a slave state. However, by 1860 the state population had become much more diverse. German and Irish immigrants as well as transplants from northern states were staunchly opposed to slavery. With the Civil War looming, the state hoped to remain in the Union but stay neutral. The neutrality was tested early on in a skirmish at the federal arsenal in St. Louis in April of 1861. Missouri would ultimately see over 1,200 clashes within its borders. Only Virginia and Tennessee had more engagements in their states.

St. Louis Arsenal

St. Louis remained under Union control during the war, in no small part because of the military base at Jefferson Barracks. The largest percentage of volunteers served in the Union army. No major battles were fought in or near the city despite the fact that the Mississippi River was a vital highway during the war. The lack of military action does not mean that St. Louis wasn't impacted by the war, however. The cessation of river traffic from the south had a severe effect on local businesses as this interrupted the supply chain and also sales of goods to consumers in the south. Additionally the platting of new subdivisions came to a near halt, which in turn affected the construction trade.

The war was taking a financial toll on the federal government as well, and so it enacted the first Federal Income Tax to help pay for the Union war effort. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill that imposed a 3% tax on incomes between $600 and $10,000, and a 5% tax on incomes above $10,000. The bill was amended in 1864, increasing the tax to 5% on incomes between $600 and $5,000, 7.5% on incomes between $5,000 and $10,000, and a 10% tax on incomes above $10,000. The tax would have placed an additional burden on citizens who had already had their livelihood impacted by the war. For Murdoch, it meant an additional $2,300 in taxes not counting what he already paid on his personal property.

What, exactly, was John Murdock doing during the war? Minding his business? Taking care of the farm? Fighting? And if so, for the Union or for the Confederates? Numerous sources claim that John Murdoch was a military general.

Here is the actual text from the City of Shrewsbury's website, which Wikipedia repeats on its Shrewsbury, Missouri page:

Shrewsbury, Missouri was officially platted in 1889. The land which became Shrewsbury originally belonged to Gregorie Sarpy and Charles Gratiot; by 1890, it was divided into farms and sold to families. The area now known as Shrewsbury was a 278 acre farm owned by General John Murdoch. The Murdoch farm was called Shrewsbury Park, named after a village in England.

The St. Louis Public Library's website has a St. Louis Street Index. This is the listing for Murdoch Avenue:

MURDOCH AVENUE (E-W). Named in honor of John J. Murdoch, a Civil War general who owned a large tract in the present Shrewsbury area after the war. Known as Murdoch's farm, it was subdivided in 1890.

The non-fiction book Shrewsbury of All Places by Helen G. McMahon, published in 1978, tells a similar story. Here is page 4 from the book:

That all sounds pretty compelling. Was auctioneer, merchant, farmer, and family man John Murdoch also serving as a general in the civil war?

Family History Writing Challenge Day 5

1857 map of St. Louis County

In the 1857 Kennedy's Saint Louis Directory, John Murdoch is listed as living "in country", though the business of Murdoch & Dickson remained located on Main Street in downtown St. Louis. An 1849 deed indicated that John J. Murdoch, Charles K. Dickson and Mary T. Dickson, his wife, purchased 613.71 acres of land in the County of St. Louis from Adam G. Stewart and his wife. A portion of this property was sold by Murdoch and Dickson in 1850 to John J. Wilshusen. Wilshusen was a farmer in St. Louis County, and his property abutted what would become the farm of Murdoch. It is likely then, that Murdoch Farm was carved out of the 613.71 acres purchased by him and the Dicksons in 1849.

illustration of Murdoch mansion

The farm was part of Lot 10 in the Kenneth McKenzie subdivision. McKenzie was a fur trader in St. Louis before purchasing 3,000 acres of the eastern half of the Gregoire Sarpy lands. In 1842, McKenzie had his lands surveyed and divided into forty acre tracts, which he put up for sale.

The Murdoch family lived in a two-story stone mansion, and the 350 acres included orchards as well as farm land. There were several outbuildings as well, including at least two slave houses and a barn. A newspaper article described the barn as "one of the finest in the county, being three stories high including the basement, and cost about $15,000."

It is interesting to note that Laclede Station on the Pacific Railroad, which both Murdoch and Dickson helped to finance, was located just north of this land. Was it a coincidence that the two men purchased over 613 acres in the area where the new train line would be built? In the same year that Missouri issued the charter for the Pacific Railroad? In any event, perhaps Murdoch took the train each day from his farm to the office in St. Louis.

In 1859, John and Julia had their first child, whom they named John. The 1860 census lists a total of sixteen people at the farm. The value of Murdoch's real estate is $85,000, and his personal estate is $10,200. In addition to John, his wife and their son, John's brother William and his two daughters are listed, as well as his and William's mother Maria. There are also two farm hands and two servants shown. The remaining people on the census are William M. Plant and his family. Plant's occupation is Merchant and Farmer, the same as Murdoch, but his real estate is valued at $8,000 and his personal estate at $10,000. Plant settled in the Webster Groves area nearby in the 1860s. It would be interesting to know why his family was living with the Murdochs. Were they waiting for their home to be built?

The 1860 U.S. Federal Slave Schedule shows John J. Murdoch as the owner of ten slaves, four females and six males, ranging in age from four years to thirty-eight years. One of the slaves of a neighboring estate ran away, and Murdoch placed an ad in the newspaper offering a reward for the return of the thirty-five-year-old male to the office of Murdoch & Dickson. Apparently this was another service offered by the firm.

notice of runaway slave

The Civil War was right around the corner. What impact would it have on business in St. Louis? And on John Murdoch with his large farm?

Family History Writing Challenge Day 4

1850 Census

Despite the cholera epidemic and devastating fire in 1849, a resilient St. Louis continued to grow in 1850, becoming the largest city west of Pittsburgh. It also was the second largest port in the United States, with commercial tonnage exceeded only by New York. The economy was boosted by the sheer number of Forty-Niners, those heading to California for the gold rush, who came to the area. In addition to outfitting the would-be gold seekers passing through St. Louis, local merchants also shipped supplies to Independence and St. Joseph, Missouri, the jumping-off points for the trail west.

John Murdoch was living in the 3rd Ward with five other non-related people, according to the 1850 census. That same year, on January 19th, his firm established the John J Murdoch and Charles K Dickson Addition. The ten block area ran between Randolph and Market Streets, with Adolph Street as the eastern property line.

In 1851, construction began on the Pacific Railroad (known as the Missouri

locomotive

Pacific Railway by 1872). The Pacific Railroad was chartered by the State of Missouri in 1849 to extend from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. St. Louis City and St. Louis County contributed $5,000 each, and the County also issued $875,000 in bonds. Murdoch and Dickson both participated in the financing of the railroad. Ground was broken on July 4, 1851, and on December 9, 1852 the first passenger train west of the Mississippi River ran on the initial section of track from Fourteen Street to Sulphur Springs - a distance of five miles. Sulphur Springs was located in St. Louis County, and was later renamed Cheltenham. By 1853, the line had extended through Webster Groves and Kirkwood, and out to Franklin (later called Pacific).

On September 9, 1851 the seventy-two block Stoddard's Addition, established by Henry Stoddard and including purchases by John Murdoch and Charles Dickson, was dedicated by Stoddard and Murdoch. Bounded by Jefferson, Laclede, Leffingwell Avenue and Dayton Street, its lots were sold in the first great auction of real estate in St. Louis. The elevated location of Stoddard's Addition made it a desirable place for the city's wealthier residents to build fashionable mansions. Stoddard was later sued by the heirs of the original owner of the property, Amos Stoddard, with the litigation lasting for many years. There is no indication that either Murdoch or Dickson were parties to the lawsuit, though they were mentioned in the proceedings.

Old Cathedral

At the age of 41, Murdoch married Julia Hull on January 31, 1855 at the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, more commonly known as the Old Cathedral. Julia was the twenty-year-old niece of Charles Dickson, his sister Susan Dickson Hull's daughter. Marcia Smith, first bridesmaid, described the wedding festivities to her sister in a letter written April 7, 1855.

"They were married in the Catholic Cathedral at half past six in the evening-afterwhich we all went to Mrs. Dickson's and had a most magnificent wedding [reception]. The bride's dress was a white silk, with a thule dress over, made with three skirts, each embroidered with chenille, and a large thule veil embroidered in the same manner with the skirt. She looked sweetly, but her dress was very plain indeed, (at least so considered there, for everyone was so elegantly). She selected this dress because it was plain; she desired something different from what bridal dresses had been this winter: her veil was fastened on with three or four white Japonicas, and [she] held in her hand a very beautiful bouquet of flowers and a silver holder. I being the first bridesmaid, wore a white silk made with low neck and short sleeves, and a double skirt of thule, each skirt with a wide hem and looped up on one side with a bunch of artificial flowers."

Miss Smith goes on to describe in great detail the dresses of the other bridesmaids, the decorations, the music that was played, and the interior of the rooms in the Dickson house where the dining and dancing occurred. She ends by stating, "Mr. Dickson's house is an immense one and so well adapted to giving a large party. There were about 476 invitations out."

Things were going quite well for Murdoch & Dickson.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 3

St. Louis Levy 1848

Disaster struck St. Louis in two different ways in 1849. With a population that had grown to about 73,000 people, immigrants were steadily pouring into the area. On January 2, 1849 the steamboats Aleck Scott and St. Paul arrived from New Orleans carrying many seriously ill passengers. They were just the first of many boats bringing victims of cholera to the city. Though it wasn't known at the time, cholera is a bacterial abdominal infection that spreads mainly through water contaminated by human waste. It can kill within hours. At the time, the city had no sewer system. By mid-May an average of twenty-five people per day died, many of them young children. The highest death rates were in the slums where the living quarters were over-crowded. The death toll was at least 4,317, or nearly six percent of the population, by the end of the year.

St. Louis Fire of 1849

While it does not appear that Murdoch or Dickson were personally impacted by cholera, what happened in the midst of the epidemic most certainly affected them. On May 17, 1849 a steamboat named White Cloud caught fire while it was moored at the foot of Cherry Street. The flames spread to neighboring boat Edward Bates, which either broke free or was cut loose. The current carried it into other docked boats, catching them on fire as well. Strong winds carried the flames to piles of freight stacked on the levy, then on to the wooden warehouses on Front Street. Despite the heroic efforts of over 1,000 volunteer firefighters, the blaze carried to other buildings downtown. The fire continued throughout the night. Eventually, the fire destroyed four hundred buildings in fifteen city blocks, leaving hundreds homeless and thousands without work. Additionally, twenty-three steamers and nine flatboats and barges were lost. The total damages were estimated at nearly $6,000,000.

There is no question that Murdoch & Dickson lost their business location that night, as it was only one block away from the levy. Murdoch also lost his home, since he lived above the business. (Dickson had married and moved into a home with his wife in 1847. It was not impacted by the fire.) One can only imagine what it must have been like to rebuild the business once the building and all the merchandise inside of it were destroyed. Their records were lost, so it must have been trying to reconstruct the payables and receivables for the company. This experience may have been the impetus for Murdoch & Dickson later taking a prominent role in the establishment of several insurance companies.

One positive result of the fire was a change in the building code in St. Louis. The city was rebuilt with an emphasis on fire-proofing. The streets were wider and the new buildings were generally four to five stories in height, with heavy brick walls facing the street front. Murdoch & Dickson rebuilt downtown, with the new office building located at 63 N. Main (formerly N. First Street).

Family History Writing Challenge Day 2

1844 map of St. Louis

Kimball & James Business Directory

With his new business thriving, John Murdoch was soon joined by Charles K. Dickson. Dickson was one year younger than Murdoch, and he was also born in New Jersey. It is possible that they knew each other back east. The first time that Dickson appears in connection to Murdoch is in the Kimball & James Business Directory for the Mississippi Valley: 1844. Another employee,  J. B. Solms, is also listed, as well as the fact that the company is represented by S. J. Solms of Philadelphia. Solms was probably the east coast backer who enabled Murdoch to start a new business in St. Louis. Dickson and Murdoch are both shown to be living at the address of Murdoch & Co., now located at 55 N. First.

The business was undoubtedly affected by the flooding of the Mississippi River in 1844 as its location was only one block west of the river. The winter of 1843-1844 was bitterly cold with heavy snowfalls to the north of St. Louis. When the snows melted, the river began to rise. The problem was compounded when St. Louis received seventeen inches of rainfall in the months of May and June, causing the Mississippi River to overflow its banks. Water was ten to twenty feet deep in the streets of downtown. The flood in St. Louis reached its greatest height between the 24th and 27th of  June, and was thirty-eight feet and seven inches above the low water mark.

By 1847 an ad appears in the St. Louis Directory for the first time referencing the business as Murdoch & Dickson Auction & Commission Merchants. The men are now business partners, and this would prove to be a crucial turning point in the fate of John Murdoch and his family down the road. In August of the same year, 31-year-old Dickson married Mary E. Thomas, the 26-year-old daughter of United States Army Captain Martin Thomas and his wife Margaret. Captain Thomas built the United States Arsenal in St. Louis. Charles and Mary would go on to have seven children, one of whom they named John Murdoch Dickson, a testimony to the relationship between the Dicksons and John Murdoch.

Murdoch & Dickson as a firm did not limit itself to the auctioneering business, but expanded into real estate as well. The city limits of St. Louis were expanding due to the increased population, and in 1848, Murdoch & Dickson established the Fairview Addition. The addition was located between Sidney and Victor Streets, from Rosati to Morton.

Fairview Addition, St. Louis

Things were going well for both Murdoch and Dickson in 1848. Two devastating events in 1849 would change that.

Family History Writing Challenge 2015

For several years each February, The Armchair Genealogist has hosted the Family History Writing Challenge. Designed to help family historians turn dry facts into interesting family stories, the 28 day challenge offers helpful advice, encouraging words, and motivational tips throughout the month. I have participated every year, faithfully writing on my laptop. But the stories have never seen the light of day, instead residing on my hard drive. So this year I am putting the words out there - right here, to be exact.

Murdoch Family Tree

My story will not, however, be about one of my ancestors. John J. Murdoch (or Murdock, in some instances) is not related to me, though his family tree is right beside my own in the genealogy software that I use. And while I am not a descendant of his, I have many more pieces of documentation about his life and death than I do on my own family members. Readers of my blogs will recognize John Murdoch as the man who once owned a large farm in St. Louis County (Missouri), which was later sold and developed into the town of Shrewsbury. It was while researching the history of a building that we own in Shrewsbury that I first became interested in the man who still has a street named for him more than 130 years after his death. Several resources, including the official website for the City of Shrewsbury, refer to John Murdoch as a General in the Civil War. Through my research and interviews with local Civil War experts, I have found nothing to indicate that he served in any military capacity much less as a General. Nevertheless, he had a fascinating life. I don't know for certain if Murdoch was a rags to riches to rags story, but he certainly went from riches to rags. And that is the story I will be telling over the next 28 days.

___________

John J. Murdoch - the Man behind the Myth

"His life was gentle, and the elements
So mixed in him that nature might stand up
And say to all the world. This was a man."
            - from the obituary of John Murdoch, June 20, 1880

In 1838, Missouri had only been a state for seventeen years. With its location on the Mississippi River, the City of St. Louis became the land of opportunity for industrious immigrants hoping to help outfit the more adventuresome types who were heading out west to seek their fortunes. In the decade between 1830 and 1840, the St. Louis population grew from 1,694 to 16,649. One of the new arrivals was John Murdoch. Murdoch made his way from New Jersey near Philadelphia where he was born in 1814, perhaps traveling from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh on the river canal system, which opened in 1834. From Pittsburgh it was possible to travel by steamboat to St. Louis. If all went well, the trip from Pittsburgh would have taken a minimum of ten days.

St. Louis City Directory, 1840

Many of those coming to St. Louis from the East Coast had financial backers from the northeast, and Murdoch was no exception. Business life in St. Louis was centered at this time along Main (or First Street) between Walnut Street and Washington Avenue. In fact, the Merchant's Exchange was in this area on Main Street. Murdoch established Murdoch & Co. at 53 N. First as early as 1840. As an auctioneer and commission merchant, the proximity to the Mississippi River was perfect. In 1839 more than 2,000 steamboats arrived in St. Louis, bringing passengers and freight both into and out of the city. Murdoch's business was engaged in buying and selling goods and products for others on a commission basis, so being located near the river in a town that was the last stopping point for travelers purchasing supplies and gear before continuing on their westward journey would prove to be a fortuitous move for him. At least for awhile.

Creating a Photo Book

Old Chain of Rocks Bridge

In 2014 the St. Louis region celebrated the 250th birthday of the City of St. Louis. A major portion of the festivities involved the placement of 250 (plus a few to grow on) fiberglass birthday cakes around the area. Painted by local artists, the cakes were placed primarily in locations of historical significance. The Cakeway to the West adventure was part scavenger hunt and part history lesson. It took me to places in the St. Louis area that I never knew existed as well as locations I had heard about but never visited. At the end of the journey, over 4,000 photographs had taken up residence on my hard drive, and three of them ended up in a juried art show! I knew that I wanted to put together a book that would have one cake on each page, meaning I was looking at printing a 250+ page, full-color book.

The online print on demand companies such as Amazon's CreateSpace or Lightning Source have gotten poor marks for the quality of color photos in their books. There are, however, numerous options for producing photo books online. They are mostly designed for casual photographers who want to turn their photos into a keepsake book - not one that they intend to sell. While these services produce photo books you can be proud of, they are an extremely expensive option. Most of them have page limitations that ruled them out for this project. I put together a comparison of the most popular companies.

photo book comparison  

From the illustration you can see that there was only one company that was capable of producing the desired number of pages for my book. With Blurb, you can either produce your book online, which is how the other services work, or you can download their software and work on the book on your computer directly. While I have used both Shutterfly and Snapfish in the past, I have never worked with Blurb before. I tried both their online service as well as the software, and I never quite got the hang of either one of them. Trying to add additional text boxes or photos to the pages was difficult, at least for me. In the end I decided that because this project was so immense, I did not want to take the time for the learning curve Blurb was presenting. I do know other people who have used the service and have seen some of their books, and Blurb does offer a high quality product.

I went with Snapfish due to the fact that they offer a maximum of 150 pages, so I knew I could get my book done in two volumes. Both volumes are now complete, and I have received Volume I. The book looks great, and I am pleased with the result. If you are looking to create a photo book of your own adventures, there are some good choices available for you.

Cakeway to the West book cover

Cakeway to the West interior page

Cakeway to the West interior page

Bridging the Past

Stan Musial Bridge

Yesterday was the ribbon cutting for the new bridge spanning the Mississippi River between Missouri and Illinois. It is named the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge in honor of a great man who was a World War II Vet as well as a Cardinals ballplayer, and for all veterans in America. For one day only, you could walk, run or bike across the bridge yesterday. I wanted to attend the event for a couple of reason. Despite the cold, I thought it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity as this is a vehicle-only bridge with no pedestrian or bike lanes. But the second reason was maybe more important. The first bridge to span the Mississippi River at St. Louis was the Eads Bridge, which opened 140 years ago in 1874. John Murdoch and his partner Charles Dickson were investors in both the company building the bridge. In fact Dickson was President of the Illinois and St. Louis Bridge Company, which built the bridge.

Dickson died before the Eads Bridge was completed, but I imagine that Murdoch attended the opening ceremonies on July 4, 1874. The bridge was first christened by Mrs. Julius Walsh, daughter of Charles Dickson, followed by a 100 gun salute and multiple speeches. Then the parade began. Police, politicians and key citizens were the first to cross, followed by a line of people that reportedly stretched for 13 miles! There were marching bands and fireworks to mark the celebration as well.

In attending the opening of the new Mississippi bridge 140 years later, I had a similar experience to Murdoch. There were police and politicians, key citizens and a parade. Nine speeches were given, and while it was a little chilly to just stand and listen, I have to say that each speech was fairly short, mostly non-political, and predominantly inspirational. After walking across the bridge to Illinois, we stayed and enjoyed the parade. There were no marching bands, but the military units, classic cars and the Clydesdale horses more than made up for the lack of music. And I appreciated the fact that the parade was far from being 13 miles long.

A walk on the bridge of the future gave me an opportunity to take a glimpse into the past. And that will hopefully make a nice addition to my John Murdoch story.