John Klumpp Missing five weeks, is found

This blog is the first half of a 2 night blog, the second part of this blog will be posted tomorrow night.
I chose the Klumpp family as the feature of this blog. For those of you who do not recognize the Klumpp family name, they were one of the most prosperous families during this period of Rich Hill History.

This article is from the July 5, 1934 Rich Hill Mining Review newspaper.

A Boy Tramp Asking for Food gives Mrs. Chas E. Klumpp the Clue Idenifies Him by picture.

Discovered at Carthage

Suffering from Amnesia, Gives No account of his waderings, Taken to Kansas City Hospital

The response of Mrs. Chas. J. Klumpp to a pitiful plea of a boy 17 years old, a tramp, asking for something to eat about 7 o'clock Wednesday evening, led to the startling discovery that John E. Klumpp was alive and to be found at Carthage, 75 miles south of here. He has been missing five weeks.
Since John Klumpp's disappear­ance Mrs. Chas. Klumpp has made it a habit to question every stran­ger, hoping to find some clue. The boy, Harry Hocum, 17 years old, was questioned and gave a straight story that impressed Mrs. Klumpp. He was shown a picture of the missing man and he said that he met Mr. Klumpp some two weeks ago at the "Jungles," a rendezvous for tramps and job­less men near Carthage, and talked with him, Mr. Klumpp saying that he bad "bummed" his way from Kansas City to Carthage over the Kansas City Southern railroad; that Mr. Klumpp then complained of pains in the side of his head, evidently suffering from amnesia
Having confidence in the boy's story, Mrs Chas. Klumpp, Mrs. John Klumpp, Mac Wilson and Sam Klumpp, accompanied by the Hocum boy, left here in a motor car, arriving at Carthage at 10 o'clock in the evening. The went at once to the ' jurgle" camp and there found John E, Klumpp, the missing man.
He was found to be suffering from lapse of memory, as he failed to recognize his wife or any mem­ber of the family. He appeared in a wretched condition, both physically and mentally, showing evidence of enduring hardships in his wanderings. He failed to give any account of his wanderings over the country the past five weeks.
A physician was called and Mr. Klumpp was taken to the Carthage hospital, where he was given emergency treatment, before leaving for the Research hospital in Kansas City, by Mrs. Chas. J. Klumpp, Mrs. John E. Klumpp; Chas. J. Klumpp joining the party at 2 o'clock last Thursday morning when they reached Rich Hill. Here Mr, Wilson and Sam Klumpp were dropped off.

JOHN E. KLUMPP'S CONDITION SERIOUS
Mr. and Mrs. Joe P. Klumpp, Mrs. Burl Holland and Mrs. Will Vogel returned late Friday night from Kansas City where they vis­ited John E Klumpp at the Research hospital where he was taken after being found at Carthage last Wednesday night at the "Jungle Osmo" through a clue given by a 17-year-old boy who, tramping through Rich Hill, stopped at the Chas. E. Klumpp home for something to eat, which was given by Mrs. Klumpp, then questioned closely, and stating that he had met Mr. Klumpp and, when shown a picture, recognized Mr. Klumpp and then accompa­nied the members of the Klumpp family to Carthage.

J P. Klumpp after his return home said his brother was still suffering from amnesia, that his memory is very cloudy, and that his condition is yet very serious. Three hospital physicians are at tending Mr, Klumpp, but were averse to giving an opinion as to the outcome of the case at this time.

Celebration of Our Seventy-Fifth Jubilee

I think this is the last image sent to me from Jeff Droz out of the of 75th anniversary paper. This picture is an add by Mayor Marvin Hurst and the Board of Aldermen from page 8 of the paper promoting the 75th Jubilee Milestone.

For those who cannot read the above ad because it it is so small, I have written out the ad as it appears in the picture.

Many young people of today have never seen a blacksmith shop . Yet time was when even the smallest village boasted at least one.

Times Have Changed and So Has Rich Hill.
Our vast coal fields have become depleted. Our webwork of railway facilities have been taken over by the truck and automobile. Our smelting plant, mills and factories are all gone, but we still retain our
Godgiven Indomitable, Preponderant Spirit
of one happy family, living peacefully and neighborly together without a thought to laying away worldly things which availeth not. So it is with this feeling and concern that we
Heartily Welcome You to Rich Hill to Join in the Celebration of Our Seventy-fifth Jubilee Milestone
The City of Rich Hill, Missouri

Soda Fountain Advertisement

This blog was taken from the Rich Hill Review Newspaper Sept.8, 1938 edition. The story was positioned along side of this picture in the "Old Rich Hill Review.

Install New Fountain

That this is truly an age of “steamline” was demonstrated at the Northup Drug Store Wednesday where workmen are installing a new steamline soda fountain.
The new fountain is one of the very latest models and only the most modern materials are used in its construction. It is built of a new material called Plymetal which is lighter and stronger than steel. This fountain made by Liquid Carbonic Corp. is narrower than any other soda fountain yet produced. It is only 30 ½ inches wide, which makes much easier for the dispenser to serve customers. The steamlining makes it more beautiful and because all sharp corners and services are eliminated it is very easy to keep spotlessly clean. It is chock-full of a new and interesting features. For instance, the syrup jars where flavors are kept are made stainless steel and rest in an ice water bath. The marble counter panels are imported. There is much storage space in the fountain.

The Northrup Drug Store is to be commended on their progressiveness. The installation of this new equipment should add to the splendid repu-tation they already enjoy.

Huckeby, George Proffltt

This information came from Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri: A Compendium of History and Biography for Ready Reference
By Howard Louis Conard
Published by The Southern history company, Haldeman, Conard & co., proprietors, 1901
Item notes: v.3
Original from Harvard University
Digitized Jan 23, 2008
The picture came from Find A Grave



Huckeby, George Proffltt, lawyer and dealer in real estate, was born in Rome, Perry County. Indiana, May 7, 1841, son of Elijah and Nancy (Groves) Huckeby. His father, a native of Hardin (now Breckinridge) County, Kentucky, was a son of John Huckeby, a native of Botetourt County. Virginia, who removed to Kentucky in the early days of that State. Elijah Huckeby was born in 1811. At the age of twenty-one years he removed to Indiana, where he married Nancy Groves, a native of the last named State and a descendant of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry. She was a daughter of David Groves, who came from Germantovvn, Pennsylvania, locating in Perry County, Indiana, in 1808. Upon his death, August 22, 1851, he left an independent fortune to all his heirs. Most of the life of Elijah Huckeby was devoted to merchandising. In 1874 he located in Butler, Missouri, where he died in May, 1895. The subject of this sketch resided in his native town until the opening of the Civil War, attending school there and at Hanover College, at Hanover, Indiana. When President Lincoln first called for volunteers he enlisted, July 29, 1861, as a private in Company D, First Indiana Cavalry. His command saw service in southeast Missouri, participating in the battle of Fredericktown. Soon after this engagement he contracted typhoid fever, and upon his recovery was discharged and sent home, being mustered out as a sergeant of his company. After his course in Hanover College he read law in the office of Randall Crawford, at New Albany, Indiana, and then took a course in the law department of the Indiana University at Bloomington. In October, 1865, he was admitted to the bar at New Albany, Indiana, and at once began practicing his profession there, where he remained for nearly fifteen years. In 1879 he removed to Butler, Missouri, where he was engaged in teaching school for a year. Upon the founding of Rich Hill, in 1880, he removed to that place and at the urgent solicitation of leading Republicans there he established the "Rich Hill Gazette." A year later, in recognition of his services to the Republican party in the campaign of 1880, President Garfield appointed him postmaster of Rich Hill, in which office he served from May, 1881, to October, 1885. At the close of his term he opened a loan and real estate office in Rich Hill. In 1887 he went to Wichita, Kansas, where he operated in real estate for about a year and then, returning to Rich Hill, he resumed his business there. From October, 1890, to October, 1894, he again served as postmaster under appointment by President Harrison. Since 1894 he has been engaged in the real estate and insurance business, besides practicing his profession. Mr. Huckeby has always been a staunch Republican. In 1882, 1883 and 1884 he was a member of the Republican congressional committee, served on the Bates County Republican committee three terms, and in March, 1900, was honored by his party in being nominated for presidential elector. Since he was twenty-two years of age he has been a Mason, and in that order has taken thirty-five degrees. He retains his membership in the blue lodge at New Albany, Indiana. For forty-five years he has been a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and was one of the founders of the church at Rich Hill, in which he is trustee. He is a member of General Canby Post, No. 10, Grand Army of the Republic of Rich Hill, of which he has been adjutant almost continuously since its organization. Mr. Huckeby was married December 21, 1865, to Maria Castlen, of New Albany, Indiana, who died April 1, 1898, leaving five children. They are Jessie Fremont, Nancy Rafter, Sallie Lyndall, Isabel de la Hunt, now the wife of Samuel H. Gosnell, of Butler, and George Andrew Huckeby.


HUCKEBY,GEORGE Died- 4/5/1915 is buried in Greenlawn

Ed R. McQuitty

Ed R. McQuitty Obituary
Ed was a colorful person of Rich Hill.
I found his obit online and the picture came Jeff Droz. Thank you Jeff!

Ed R. McQuitty's Death
Died Aug 21, 1957. One of Leading Citizens Passed Away in Kansas City on Wednesday. A fine writer Ed was one of the "Old Timers" around here and was liked by all the people. Ed R. McQuitty, 87 years of age, died in Kansas City, Wednesday afternoon, at the home of his son Fremont where he had been staying for some time. He suffered a stroke a few days ago and never recovered from this attack. The death of Ed McQuitty takes one of the colorful figures from Rich Hill and one who was much beloved by all our people who knew him. He had lived here during the big boom years of the town and had been associated with all the high spots of the town. He had worked for the railroad for some time, but what he really loved was the newspaper game. And he contributed a great deal to that profession as he had the knack or gift of being a very fine writer. He had seen many things take place here and had the ability to tell about it in a most vivid manner. He also had a great sense of humor and could always see something amusing in most any incident and then could put it down on paper so you could see it too. We would say that he was sort of a connecting link between the old rollicking, rip snorting days of the big coal mines, the open saloons, the Saturday night fights, the happy go lucky attitude of the miners, and the present more quiet and peaceful days of good streets and pretty parks, good churches and schools and the quieter and less exciting days of the present. Ed wrote a cracking good article! People liked to read them as he had the happy faculty of bringing in a big lot of human interest in all his stories. He could take an ordinary incident and make it uproariously funny. We like to read his articles as did everyone in town and in the country around here who all knew Ed. Ed wrote the story of the history of the town for the Mining Review for the 75th Anniversary edition. He did a splendid job of it too. He brought little incidents in that story that brought the events back to the minds of the people who had forgotten them. He did a grand job on the affair. At the 50th anniversary, he ran a special edition and Ed had a good story in that paper that was enjoyed by everyone who read it. He worked like a Trojan on the publicity for the Shelter House and it was through his articles coupled with the work of the ladies of the Civic club did that the Shelter house was built and the great popularity of the house with the people of this entire section of the country is one of the more progressive moves that this town has done in many years. He loved baseball and was very active in getting our present fine baseball park built. He worked out there for weeks getting things in running order. He worked a great deal in helping put over our very fine Public Library. In fact you could count on Ed doing anything in the way of publicity to help any movement for the betterment of the town. He loved Rich Hill and was always glad to do what he could to better the town. Rich Hill has lost a valuable citizen in the death of Ed McQuitty. Whether it was in the roaring days of the coalmines and the saloons, or in the quieter days of today, Ed was always in the pitching for his town of Rich Hill. We know of no one who can take his place.

Bates County Championship

The picture of Rich Hill Bates county Champions came out of the 1980 Book "The Town That Coal Built."
The blog article was taken from the Nov 3rd 1928 Issue of the Rich Hill Mining Review.

The Rich Hill Tigers by defeating Butler on a slick and water soaked gridiron 6 to 0 brought home the first Bates county championship in football, Friday.
During the first quarter of the game fumbles were very costly to the local boys. The ball being slick and muddy was fumbled twice and recovered by Butler, when in striking distance of their goal.
Butler seemed to rally during the close of this quarter and the first of the second quarter and ad­vanced the ball to Rich Hill's 45 yard line. Hare a pass was in­tercepted by Kienberger and he carried the ball to Butler's fifteen yard line. A series of line smashes by Lady, Marquardt and Capt. Janssesn made it first and ten and their Kienberger carried it over for the first and only touchdown of the game on an off tackle smash.
At this period of the game Smith and Bell were sent in to stop Butlers line smashes and both played a creditable game. Smith did his work well at end stopping the plays time after time before getting started.
The second half again was a battle with Butler attempting everything they had to score. At this time Dirk replaced Moreland at center and Jenkins replaced Yeaces. Butler sending in eight new men. Rich Hill held and again kicked the ball and held But­ler within their own forty yard line. During the last quarter it looked as if the officials would place Butler within striking dis­tance of a touch down, even with an unfair decision by the officials which netted Butler 3> yard* the Rich Hill boys stopped the offense arid again carried the ball to But less 15 yard line when the game ended.
Friday next local boys will play the strong Nevada team on the gridiron.

Bates County Drainage Ditch

This post cards is of the Bates County Drainage Ditch. Once again, this is another fine contribution to this bog made possible by Jeff Droz. Thank you Jeff!
Some information about the drainage ditch located just outside of
Rich Hill. The "ditch" runs at a southeast angle just about two miles north and two miles east of Rich Hill. The drainage ditch is an important part of the Rich Hill area.

This info came from the Missouri Department of Conservation

The Marais des Cygnes River (7th order) originates in Wabaunsee County in east central Kansas, and flows southeast 184.0 miles through Kansas and 33.8 miles in Missouri (the current channel). The original Marais des Cygnes River channel in Missouri was 52.2 miles in length. All but six miles were channelized in the early 1900s, creating the Bates County Drainage Ditch . This channelization changed stream length and order, resulting in a loss of 9.5 miles of 7th order stream and 8.9 miles of 6th order stream. The current river channel includes the first 14 miles of the Marais des Cygnes River where it then flows into the Bates County Drainage Ditch. Three confluences occur; the original Marais des Cygnes River channel joins the Marmaton River (RM 4.6), and the Bates County Drainage Ditch merges with the Marmaton River and the Osage River (93.8 miles above Truman Dam). The Osage River originates at the confluence of the Bates County Drainage Ditch (RM 2.0) and the Marmaton River.
Major tributaries to the Marais des Cygnes River are Miami Creek (including the Miami Drainage Ditch) and Walnut Creek. Miami Creek begins in extreme northwestern Bates County. The original channel flows southeast for 39.2 miles to its confluence with the Marais des Cygnes River . Channelization of the lower 4.5 miles of Miami Creek during the early 1900s created the Miami Drainage Ditch .