Cemetery walkers learn of Moberly history

The founders of Moberly, the makers of our history, came back to life to tell their stories Saturday.

In Oakland Cemetery, Moberly’s city cemetery, many people from the town’s early history are buried. People who took part in Saturday’s Cemetery Walk had the opportunity to “talk” to some of these historical figures through the help of members from the Randolph County Historical Society.

Abraham Lincoln

While he never visited Moberly, there is a statue of Abraham Lincoln in the cemetery. Erected in 1914 by the Women’s Relief Corp, it is the only full-sized statue of him west of the Mississippi. Lincoln and his wife, whom he affectionately called Molly, told visitors Saturday, through the eyes of Lonnie and Beverly Holder, about their early life and becoming president.

James Clark

James Clark is probably the oldest person portrayed, being born in 1839. He lies under a tree in the cemetery in an unmarked grave. But with the help of Walahn Kilgore, Clark told about being aboard the train that was robbed by Bloody Bill Anderson in 1864 who was looking for money to help the Confederate cause during the Civil War and who killed Union soldiers who were on the train headed for home.

“He killed 14 (soldiers) outright but eventually hunted them down and killed them all,” said Clark.

Clark had Union flags on his train and was afraid Anderson would kill him, too, but he was unharmed. The train cars were burned so 45 passengers rode on the locomotive with Clark to Macon City (Macon). The Centralia Massacre, which occurred later the same day, claimed the lives of over 120 Union soldiers through an ambush by Anderson and his men.

On the first Memorial Day in 1872, the soldiers were remembered and the editor of the Macon Times asked that they “forever bury all animosity.”

Judge Julius Miller

Julius Miller came to America from Germany as a young man in 1840. He joined the Union forces in 1862 and moved to Moberly in 1872. Miller, through Larry Heddinghaus, told that he and his brother started a beer business and an ice business. The ” city saloon” burned leaving them only the ice business.

“We would take a team to the river and crosscut ice into large blocks and take it back to a barn we called the ice house. We set them in a row and covered it in saw dust and that kept it through the summer.”

The ice business was profitable for the Miller family and they invested their money wisely. Miller lost his first wife to consumption. His second wife, Carmilla, as portrayed by Rebecca Headdinghaus, told the audience that they owned the Merchants Hotel and the Moberly Fairgrounds and he was “presently” seeking the position of judge. Miller also helped organize the Moberly Trust Company. The fairgrounds, in the Miller addition, had a horse/racetrack which featured Buffalo bill’s wild West show twice.

Moses Jennings

Jennings is the name of one of Moberly’s most influential families. Moses Jennings, as told by his descendant Tom Marshall, owned the land where the railroad shops were built and he helped found the Mechanics Bank in 1872.

Rolla Rothwell

Rolla Rothwell was born in Moberly, part of the population boom between 1870 and 1880 when the size of Moberly increased from 1,600 to 6,000.

“I helped the town just by being born,” said Rothwell, as portrayed by Wally Landrum.

One of the nation’s first linotypes was brought to Moberly in 1903 and the Moberly Daily Monitor was begun, the paper which Rothwell served as editor. While heading the newspaper, Rothwell was also elected mayor in 1904 and died just before election to a seventh term. He was instrumental in the establishment of Rothwell Park.

“In 1907 we raised $25,000 and bought some land for a park,” he told a small group of children. “It was a forest so we called it Forest Park. Maybe they’ll name it after somebody some day, I don’t know.”

Rothwell explained that in 1910, $150,000 was raised for a water works bond issue to bring safe, clean water to the homes of Moberly.

Charles Quayle

Charles Quayle, as portrayed by Bill Gaines, was stumping for votes for city marshal. Quayle came to Moberly in 1891 via old Mexico. He was U.S. Marshal for the eastern district and was elected city marshal, now chief of police, twice. He died at the age of 35 but may be best known for his famous son-in-law, Gen. Omar Bradley. The Bradleys’ infant son is buried next to Charles Quayle’s headstone.

John Ballinger

John Ballinger was born in 1874, learned the trade of blacksmith in Edina and moved to Moberly in 1899. He worked for Fennel Wagon Works until he opened in own shop in 1923. He had a glass eye and never drove a car.

Ballinger told of the horrible incident when he lost his eye. It occurred when he was working as a “smithy” and something flew up and hit his eye. He covered his eye and walked to the doctor’s office. The eye was out of the socket and hanging on Ballinger’s cheek. The doctor looked at it, cut the optic nerve and told him to go home.

“I never drove a car because of it,” said Ballinger, portrayed by great-grandson J.W. Ballinger. “If a farmer needed me, they came to get me and drove me there. That’s just the way it was.”

Harry Cashwiler

Harry Cashwiler was not a banker or politician but was influential in Moberly as a coal miner. Coal was a big business in Randolph County and dangerous shaft mines were used. Cashwiler was about 30 when he died, saying, through Doug Fennell, that he was buried when Moberly was 14 years old.

With a sweep of his arm, Fennel told a group of youngsters, “there are a lot of people here, teachers, bankers, businessmen, farmers, all kinds of people who can help you if you need them.”

The Moberly Preceptor Laureate Etta chapter of Beta Sigma Phi provided refreshments for the walkers. Proceeds from the walk benefit the restoration of the 4^th Street Theatre.