I was looking at the Facebook page of Newburg photos and this one caught my eye. I emailed Cordell Webb, who had posted it and he said someone had emailed it to him. He sent me the file and I'm posting it here with his permission. Interesting shot. I don't see a depot, but think it would be east of the right hand border of the shot. The old roundhouse is on the far left of the photo. The Houston House is prominent in this view. Quite a place. Wish I had the original card to scan.
Anybody know how long those two water tanks were there where Front Street crosses over the Branch? Ken
Notice that there are very few trees on the hillsides around Newburg, I asked my Grandma when I was just a kid (God rest her soul) why the hills were so barren and she said it was because everyone burned wood for fuel. But, I suspect it might have been because of all the coal smoke blotting out the sunlight and causing acid rain which leached out the soil. I can't see tiny Newburg using so much wood as to deplete an entire valley of trees. George
New old or old new.....reminds of one of my favorite movies, The Bank Dick, starring W. C. Fields as Eggbert Souse' (accent grave over the e)...the lodging of choice was the New Old Lompoc House...
I suspect that FriscoGeorge's grandmother was correct. There were a lot more reasons to cut down trees than just for firewood. Clearing land was part of the culture of the 1800's. It's actually very common for a photo of a rural settlement to show almost no trees. As an example, Andre's recent post http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?5091-Talihina-Indian-Territory-ca-1890-s&highlight=talihina . I was amazed the first time I saw a series of photos of Van Buren, Arkansas made in this same timeframe. There are 10 times as many trees there now as there were 130 years ago. At that time someone had cut them all down. John
When a railroad built through an area, typically the timber was used for: * Ties. * Structures (railroad and other). * Bridges/trestles (in many cases). * Fuel (stoves, etc). * Fences/corrals. * Sawmilling (for shipment) * Etc, etc. Almost ALL early railroading photos in the Ozarks show the nearby hills denuded of harvestable timber. Had nothing to do with "evil" coal smoke. Andre Ming
A little history, from the late Mrs Mary Alice Beemer, Newburg historian and author: The town was formed on the banks of "the Branch", a small stream that drains into the Little Piney river. It grew up along the railroad as it came through the Little Piney valley - around 1870/1880. The railroad came down a steep hill into the valley from Rolla (Rolla Hill) and, after crossing the Gasconade river, climbed back up a steep hill to Dixon (Dixon Hill). Construction of homes, shops, buildings, railroad facilities, churches, schools, etc all came along - mostly of wood construction on stone or brick foundations. Those consumed much of the timber from the surrounding valley hills, not smoke. The first Frisco roundhouse (5 stalls), and the railroad hotel (which became the Houston House) were built, mostly of wood, and opened in 1884. For several years, the place had no formal name. People just simply called it the "new burg". In 1888, the town was formally incorporated. There was a proposal to name the town "Frisco", but after some debate, the name "Newburg" was agreed upon. And so it became Newburg, Missouri, still sitting astride the banks of the Branch. Ken
Ken, those are precisely the types of backstories on Frisco towns that I thoroughly enjoy. Thanks for passing down the history! Best Regards,
Chris - You ought to get some of her books, in particular the picture ones. Still available, not at all expensive. Ken
I used to live next to Mary and Gene Beemer just after she finished her book " Newburg-The first hundred years" We traded information about how Newburg got it's name, and why the roundhouse was built in Newburg, not Rolla. As it was told by the men who worked the roundhouse, Rolla didn't want anything to do with the railroad because the mayor of Rolla thought it would bring in too many "undesirable type people, hobos, and thugs" so the Frisco looked west to the Little Piney valley. Since there was a iron works at Knotwell (Grotto) the name "Knotwell" was suggested, but the people wanted the town called "Frisco" The railroad however refused to let the town use the name since it was the commonly known banner of the SL-SF RR, so the town was simply referred to as "that new burg they just built" later to be called "Newburg" so now you really know the "rest of the story" George P.S., The "town branch" has a rather dubious story associated with it since all of the original settlers of Newburg had out houses and no sewer or septic system existed, the branch was called "T--D Creek" because all of the outhouses drained into it.
Ken, Sadly, Mrs. Mary Beemer's books are no longer in print, they are only available from library reference. George
George - Would you happen to have a photo or two of the little streetcar diner that sat on the west side of Main Street a couple of blocks up from Front Street (tracks)? Mary Alice never had a photo of that in her books. A few of we "Newburg" mavens would like to model it, but nobody has a pic! Ken
George - Ah, not so! Last time I checked, they are all still available, albeit in limited quantities, from the Phelps County Genealogical Society. I bought the only one I did not get from her personally (a poem book - "Shadows of Our Traveling", her last book, 1989) from them a year ago. I just checked their web page and they show her books as still available. Ken
Nope, I sure don't Ken. The only photo I could ever find was a photo that showed Blues Market and the Mason Lodge stairwell with just a hint of the end of the diner in the shot. I did find these photos of Mary Alice Beemer and Gene Beemer's gravestone and the Newburg Cemetery.
Ken, I think those are original prints of the book, O.K.A. "New Old Stock" not recent prints of their books and when they are gone, then they are no more. If not, then I stand corrected. George
