New Member needing OLD information

Hello to all...
I grew up watching trains cross Highway 13 (the old one that went through the middle of Osceola) from the front steps of my grandparents photography studio. I distinctly remember an engineer that tossed me an orange one day when Paw-Paw and I walked down close to the tracks to get a better view.
As I've become an "old-timer", I have developed an interest in "steam power", although primarily as it applies to boats that plied the Missouri and Osage rivers.
I have a question which concerns both steamboats and trains: Sometime in the 1890's, there was a steamboat (the Black Diamond) which got trapped for a length of time between two bridges in Osceola during a period of high water. The owner of the boat filed a lawsuit against the railroad (which owned at least one of the bridges). I have not been able to find out the exact year of the incident, nor any details of the lawsuit. Can anyone tell me what years the railroad bridges at Osceola were built, or, for that matter, when the old wagon bridge was built?
I'm a history nut, and growing up around the Osceola/Gerster/Quincy area has provided me with plenty of interesting stories to tell. I'm sure hoping there are other "amateur historians" here who can help me find the info I'm looking for.
Thanks so much!
Maggie
"Steamboat Granny"

 

Welcome to the Frisco website Maggie!!! I'm not able to answer your question but I bet "Karl" would be able to. He has a remarkable memory, 64Gb.

Joe

 

The Frisco bridge was built about 1897. At least that was the date on the bridge abutment.

The Ozark Utilities Company of Bolivar built the hydroelectric dam at Osceola in 1929.

 

Here's some more information regarding steamboating on the Osage River - http://www.millercountymuseum.org/osagesteamer.html

And from the same source:
Name: BLACK DIAMOND
Area: 1870s, possibly Osage R., Mo.
Owners: *possibly Charles F. Lohman and his son Capt. Louis Charles
Lohman, Jefferson City, Mo.
: This listing from family records of Lee Lohman, GGG grandaughter
of Charles F.

Some more - https://books.google.com/books?id=9...&q=steamboat black diamond osceola mo&f=false

 

thanks Bob.

 

Maggie, welcome to the group. I hope to query you about some questions that I have about the area as well.

The Kansas City, Clinton and Springfield Ry, aka, the Leaky is much beloved by several of us, who frequent this site. Use the search tool to find discussions about all things Leaky Roof and High Line. There is something attractive about the underdog. Much has been posted about both railroads, which passed through Osceola.

A KC STAR article from its July 29, 1934 issue, notes that The Kansas City, Osceola, and Southern, and the Kansas City, Clinton, and Springfield were engaged in a bit of race to Osceola. The KCOS arrived first during 1885; the KCCS arrived during 1886, built a bridge over the Osage River, and continued south toward Ash Grove, where it arrived during 1886. The KCOS ferried freight and passengers across the Osage. During the latter part of 1897, the KCOS crossed the Osage, and began its push southward to Bolivar, where it connected with the Frisco’s Bolivar Branch.

Mahlon White used the KC STAR article as a reference for his book, The Leaky Roof, which was published by the Printery, Clinton, MO.

I have attached a copies of two 1934 USGS topo map, which I have annotated. The maps shows the routes of the KCCS and the KCOS as they traversed the Osceola/Vista area. The KCCS and the KCOS ran “parallel” with each other between KC and Springfield. They served several of the same communities, Belton, Harrisonville, Clinton, Lowry City, and Osceola; they crossed at grade at Belton, Harrisonville, and Lowry City Jct. At Vista the KCOS crossed the KCCS via a short bridge. Since both routes traversed the same region, and since both railroads were absorbed into the Frisco railroad, it’s no surprise that the Frisco desired to rationalize both routes into a single line.

My question to you concerns one of the first pieces of the Leaky Roof/High Line to be abandoned. Northwest of Vista, the KCOS passed over the KCCS, and then it crossed over Brush Creek on what would have been a bridge, which was on the order of 600’-700’ long and 40’-50’ high. It would have been an imposing structure, and I have always wondered if there was photograph of the bridge.

A short 6 years after the KCOS built its railroad through the Vista area, the Frisco built a ½ mile connection at Tracy Junction with the KCCS that extended to the former KCOS line. Shortly thereafter, the Frisco began routing its trains over the KCCS between Harlan Jct and Tracy Jct, and it retired the KCOS track between those points. On the face of it, it seems odd that this relatively new track was retired. The track changes through this area could simply be the beginning of a long-term rationalization effort by the Frisco to reduce duplication. However, I wonder if the bridge over Brush Creek burned or failed. If such a catastrophe befell the bridge, it seems reasonable that Frisco would have declined to reroute rather than rebuild. It also seems that if such a disaster occurred, it would have been in the local papers. To date, I have not found anything to answer my questions. Do you have any knowledge about this?

 

This may be along shot, but - https://thelibrary.org/lochist/periodicals/bittersweet/fa78g.htm

Towards the bottom, it talks about a vehicle bridge at Osceola. Two photos with one showing the inscription and an 1896 build date. So hopefully, you have your answer as to bridge build dates.

 

Okay...so we have the first railroad bridge built in 1886. That begs another question: was that the one to the north of where they built the dam in Osceola, or was it the one used by Frisco which was above (south) of the dam? I can remember hearing stories about the "Gulf" railroad. Was this another nickname? Or, another railroad? There were piers from the bridge north of the dam still extant in the river when I was a kid. I think they took them out about the same time as the dam.
Since the vehicle bridge (what we called the "old wagon bridge") was built in 1896 (thanks for that info, Bob Dye), I would assume the boat got "stuck" sometime after 1896.
I can see that I'm going to have to make another trip to Osceola and check out more microfilm in the library there! When I do, I will keep an eye open for something about what happened to that bridge over Brush Creek!
By the way, IF I can find it, I think I have a copy of the little book about the "Leaky Roof"...gotta go "dig"!

 

Yes, I believe that is the wagon bridge. Thanks.

 

If you go back, first take a look at Google Maps of Osceola. It is taken during winter and the Truman Lake drawdown. You can see the roadbed of the two railroads. One to the north and the other to the south. The south line had a switch right after it crossed the river which led to a lime plant on the north river bank. Combine that with the topo maps Karl posted and you should be able to figure out where road and lines were located.

I was there when they blew off the top of the dam and came back a bit later when it was being removed. I would guess that the old piers that you remember were either removed at the same time or when the Frisco bridge piers were removed.

One thing that I ran across when doing some searching was a suspension bridge also located near Osceola. It was the Crow Island bridge - https://www.loc.gov/item/2013646948/

Glad we could help.

 

After reading your reply to Maggie and reading further in this thread I went back through my Dad's photos and found this additional one that falls into sequence
between the family visit to Springfield and the one of 1102 taking siding at Lowry City. I wonder if we are looking at the Leaky Roof's bridge abutments in the
Osage river at Osceola? The smooth water in the foreground might be of the dam that was removed. The shadow at the right would have been one of the vertical bridge members blurred
by a slow shutter speed.

 

Charles, I'm thinking that that photo was taken from the Frisco bridge, with the dam still in place. Smooth water above the dam and roiled water after the spillway. That dam wasn't that tall. Three feet maybe?

 

So, using Karl's annotated 1934 TOPO map, the bridge downstream of the dam would have been the KCC&S line
and predates the KCO&S bridge that we
were on when dad took this photo showing the piers still in place in 1950.
Charlie.

 

The KCOS beat the KCCS to the north bank of the Osage, and it ferried freight and passengers across the river. The KCCS was the first to bridge the Osage, and serve Osceola directly. The KCCS through Osceola was retired during 1926. The Leaky Roof bridge piers remained until the construction of the Kaysinger Bluff Project, aka Truman Dam

Check out this 1950 aerial image of Osceola and environs.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10211078736618616&set=gm.758839797625814&type=3&theater

 

I'm still confused--was the "Gulf" railroad a separate line, or was "Gulf" another nickname? I distinctly remember being told that those piers below the dam were the old "Gulf" railroad bridge piers.
In the picture Charles posted, yes, the dam is in the foreground. Dam was built about 1930. So those piers were in the river long before the dam. The dam was quite a bit taller than 3 feet...I would guess in the neighborhood of 12' to 15' above the natural level of the river. It did produce electricity (at least for some period of time) and the power-house was located on the north (or west) side of the river. I also remember people fishing from the top of the dam when the water was down. In fact, it seems that I can recall that sometime around 1970 or 71, there were a couple of little boys that fell off the dam and drowned.
As far as the bridge over Brush Creek, I don't recall ever seeing a picture of it. Guess I need to go hiking...I can't imagine needing a bridge that was 40-50 ft. high if that is the same Brush Creek that hwy 82 crossed going east out of Osceola. Also, can anyone expound on the exact location of that "Crow Creek" bridge? The only 2 suspension bridges I remember were the Brown's Ford bridge, and the county line bridge which was over by Iconium. So maybe the Crow Creek bridge was already gone before I came on the scene!
Anyway, I wish I'd had sense enough to pay more attention when my "elders" talked about some of the history around the area!

 

Made my first trip on a "real" train last week--rode Amtrak from Independence to Jefferson City. One thing is certain, you sure get a whole different perspective...I had trouble figuring out where I was! Thank goodness for things like the "8-ball" water tower in Tipton! It was an interesting experience!

 

Since I don't have a Facebook account, is there another way you could use to make the link readable?

 

FOUND ANSWER:
Hello, and thanks to all who have posted to this thread. Special thanks to whoever it was that sent me the link to the Congressional Report of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army for 1892. I read a little further and found the following:

Report of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army—Appendix X—p. 1743 “Report of Mr. J. W. Beaman, Assistant Engineer.

Jefferson City, Mo., June 30, 1892

Major: I have the honor to submit the following report upon the improvement of the Osage River, Missouri and Kansas, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892:
"….
" In accordance with your letter of instructions of July 1, on July 6 and 7 an examination was made of the railway bridge across the Osage River at Osceola, Mo., on the line of the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad. Of this bridge as an obstruction to navigation, Capt. Otto Marker, master of steamer Black Diamond, made complaint to the honorable Secretary of War by letter of June 22, 1891. A report based upon the examination of this bridge was duly transmitted to your office July 8."

My previous assumptions were wrong! Evidently the incident of the boat getting caught happened sometime in the late spring of 1891. Another part of the same report states:
"Nothing has been done on the upper Osage river above the Big Gravois since the spring of 1883, when the river was all worked over from the mouth to Osceola.The high water of this spring, the highest since 1882, will probably leave a new and large deposit of snags all along the line of the river. These should all be removed, as well as the overhanging trees from the banks, from the mouth to Osceola and above."

HURRAH!!! Now, I can concentrate my newspaper archive search around those dates, and hopefully before long will have (as Paul Harvey used to say) "the rest of the story"! I will also be looking for further information on that Brush Creek bridge, and will post if I find anything.

Another particularly interesting part of the history of railroading in the St. Clair county area is the problem with the county court and the rail road bonds. Somebody who knows more than I do can probably explain all that mess MUCH better than I could!