A Brief History of Clarksburg, Missouri

Moniteau County, Missouri

A Brief History of Clarksburg, Missouri
(From Moniteau County, Missouri History, page 51-52; Published 1980-Moniteau County Historical Society)

Clarksburg was a well known school center during the latter part of the 1800's and early 1900's. It had three schools, The Hooper Institute, The Clarksburg College, and the Public School. These schools were known all over Missouri as schools of this type were very few at that time.

(From the 1889 History of Cole, Moniteau, Morgan, Benton, Miller, Maries & Osage Counties, Missouri by Goodspeed; pages 383-386)

Clarksburg:

Clarksburg, six miles west of California, on the line of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, may be termed the coal mining industry of the county. Sebastian Sappington came from Kentucky in 1839, and located near this place, his son Hartly being now the old resident. In 1840 Hiram Clark came from Logan County, Ky., and that year built a house on Section 15, Township 45, Range 16, around which he had his town surveyed in 1858-59. In March, 1859, a post-office was established here, with Mr. Clark in charge, and on September 1, that year, W. J. Stephens opened the first store. In 1860 he was succeeded in the mercantile business by J. A. Lander, who has for the last twenty-nine years been identified with the progress of the district. In 1874 his large flouring-mill and woolen-mill were in operation; Stewart and George were physicians and druggists, and the Moniteau Mining Company, coal miners. The Union Church building was completed prior to 1874, and two years afterward the academy was established.

In 1889 the business houses were:

1 bank

3 general stores

1 hardware

1 furniture

1 drug store

a notion store

1 millinery house

1 restaurant

2 blacksmith's shops

1 lumber yard

1 hotel

1 livery

2 church buildings

1 brick public school-house

a private school

and the college

Municipal:

Clarksburg was incorporated in 1882, with Dr. Stewart, G. C. Guinner, E. Diefendorf, H. Sappington, W. J. Atkinson and P. A. Allee councilmen and Mr. Williams, attorney. In April A. T. Swarner was chosen clerk and J. G. Simpson, marshal. In October the names of Henry J. Yarnell and A. J. Witherby appear as trustees. . . In 1886 the first calaboose of the town was completed; but up to March 21, 1889, it did not claim a tenant.

Bank:

The Clarksburg Savings Bank was organized in October, 1888, with J. A. Lander, president; J. E. Lander, cashier; A. B. Alexander, W. H. Jobe and N. J. Robertson, directors. The bank building commenced at this time.

Railroad Agents:

The railroad agents at Clarksburg, since the establishment of Moniteau Station, have been J. A. Lander to August 17, 1883; G. W. McFadden to October 8, 1886, and J. C. Farrell to the present time [1889]. . . During the year ending March 1, 1889, there were 79 full car loads of produce, cattle, ore, etc. shipped from this point, exclusive of small shipments.

Churches

The religious societies represented are the Baptists, Methodist South and North and Presbyterian. In 1874 the first Union Church house was erected at this point.

Schools and Colleges

The Hooper Institute, at Clarksburg, was established in 1876 by Prof. J. N. Hooper, with ten pupils, as a select school. Within the succeeding ten years 440 students completed an academic education there, and of this number 120 became teachers, 63 farmers, about the same number of merchants, 6 physicians and 2 bankers. Seventy-seven were married and seven died. . . Hooper Institute is still presided over by J. N. Hooper, with W. C. Seebring and Karl. Brill, assistants.

Clarksburg Academy, now Clarksburg College, was established in 1877, with W. J. Hawkins, principal (who had in 1876 carried on a high school in the public school building), and Miss Lulu F. Garrett, assistant. The college building was erected in August, 1878, and the second term began in the new house September 16, 1878, with the same teachers. [Ed. note: the proceeding years through August 1888 saw various principals & teachers continue this institution]

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