Dedication ceremonies for the Elvins Memorial Park were held Dec. 7, 1962, at 2:15 p.m. on the park grounds on Highway 32, or Front St. and West Main.
Short Street in Elvins runs north and south and is the dividing line between east and west parts of Elvins. East West Main St. runs east and west and is the dividing line between north and south part of Elvins. All east of Short St. is in St. Francois Township and all west of Short St. is in Randolph Township.
City of Elvins is divided into three wards. Ward No. 1 is in St. Francois Township and Wards 2 and 3 are in Randolph Township.
The Regal Theatre was built about 1920 by Mr. Walter Burlinger at 225 E. Main St. in Elvins. In 1928 he sold half interest to Mr. W. A. Collins and the later part of 1928 or 29 Mr. Collins purchased Mr. Bulinger's part and put in sound pictures. The seating capacity was approximately 350. About the year 1930 an airdrome was built adjoining the theatre with side walls but not roof. It was operated about three years. Following are names of some who operated the projection machines: Raymond Carr and Robert K. Baker, both of Elvins, and Harry Henderson of 11 Stone St., Flat River. Mr. Baker was with the theatre from 1928 to 1936. In 1936 Mr. Collins sold the theatre to the Lead Belt Amusement Company who owned several theatres in the Lead Belt and the Regal was one. The company had a few core theatre outside the Lead Belt. Headquarters were at Flat River and Mr. George Karsch was owner and manager. The company was formerly the Farmington Amusement Co. In Jan., 1947, the company sold its holdings to Tom Edwards of Eldon, Mo., and Harold Morris of Blue Springs, Mo. Later Mr. Harris sold his interest to Frank Plumlee. The Regal Theatre was destroyed by fire Jan. 8, 1955.
Elvins had another picture show prior to the Regal. It showed silent pictures and was at 114 Short St. The building was destroyed by fire about the year 1919 and later the Regal Theatre was built. Owners of the show at 114 Short St. were Charles J. Miles and J. C. Laird and they sold to a Mr. Meyers.
The Elvins Public Library was started in 1936, located in the Goggins building at 124 Short St. They had approximately 1800 books in 1963. When the library was started, members of the women's clubs of Elvins took weekly turns as librarians. For the past several years Hilma Lovvorn has been the librarian. The library is now located in the city hall.
The concrete pavement on East Main St. from Shaw St. to Short St. and on Short and from Short to Front on West Main was laid about the year 1930.
The Elvins Post Office was started prior to the office in Flat River, Mo., which was started in 1891. As given in the first part of the history, the mail was carried from Bonne Terre, Mo., to Setz and the people of Flat River went to Setz for their mail. The Iron Mountain Railroad was completed from St. Louis, Mo., to Pilot Knob in 1855 or 59. The St. Joseph Lead Company and the Desloge Lead Company, both of Bonne Terre, built a narrow gauge railroad from Bonne Terre to Summitt, Mo. and was completed in 1880. In 1890 the Mississippi River & Bonne Terre Railroad built a narrow gauge railroad from Bonne Terre to Riverside, Mo. In the Flat River Post Office history it is related that the mail for this section brought here from Bismarck, Mo., by a farmer named Schultz and the people went to his home for their mail.
The post office at Setz was located at about 514 E. Main St., probably in the Evans general merchandise store. The office, as far as is known, was later moved to J. E. Westover's store at 204 E. Main St. where the post office was operated in connection with a grocery store. The store was later moved to 201 E. Main St. Mr. Carr Hartshorn was assistant postmaster with Mr. Westover. In Jan. 1908, Mr. Hartshorn was appointed postmaster and probably the office was moved to the present location at 229 E. Main St. in the Elkhart building. Other postmasters were: George Kells, J. Emil Layne, Mrs. Dr. Reece, Ethel Cozean (acting), George Howell and E. P. Goggins, the present postmaster appointed Oct. 1936. The following persons have been employed in the office: Mrs. Blanche Turner, Wilma Alexander, Rhona Sherrill, Bernice Putnam, Mrs. Helen Layne. The post office is fourth class office and has 270 rented boxes, also a rural route delivery established about 1908 and in 1963 had 365 rural delivery boxes. In 1938-39 rural boxes were 248 and 124 post office boxes. The first rural carrier was Frank McFarland and other carriers are John Wilson and Billy Smith.
Ralph E. Grisham came to Elvins about the year 1917 and started a store at 201 East Main. Later he purchased the Carr-Thompson Grocery store at 116 Short St. in the Knights of Pythias building. It was a credit and delivery store. Names of some who were employed in the store include: John Clinton, Mamie Trollinger, Howard Meecham, Fred Johnson, Ella Crabdree and Fred Gibson. The store was sold to Henry McLane in 1934.
About the year 1924 Mr. Grisham, with his brother, John, started a chain of Piggly Wiggly stores. One at Flat River was at 217 W. Main and the store at Elvins was changed to a Piggly Wiggly store. They also had stores at Farmington, Mo., and Festus, Mo. About 1926 the store at Elvins was changed back to a credit and delivery store and Ralph purchased John's interest in the store at Flat River and made it a credit and delivery store. What was done with the other stores is not known. Some names of those employed in the credit-delivery store at Flat River were: T. A. Pirtle, W. B. Turley, Fred Duncan, Ernest Daugherty who worked at Elvins, Flat River and Festus stores for 14 years; Hazel Archerd, 12 years; Ella Crabdree, James Ritter, Alvin Halbrook and Mrs. Jack Watts.
Ralph [Grisham] also had a grocery store in Desloge, Mo. It was started March 31, 1928, and was in the Giessing building on Lincoln St. and was also a credit and delivery store. The store was sold to a Mr. Venieer in 1953 by Mrs. Grisham (Mr. Grisham deceased) and was closed in Aug. 1959. The following were some employed in the store: Mr. and Mrs. John Green, Buss Pryor, Katherine Wallace, Sam Forchee, Harry Ransom, Juanita Ransom, Stanford Wills, Daisy Politte, and Esther Jones. Mr. Ralph Grisham had a resort named Wing Lake about two miles west of Bismarck on Highway 32. His brother, John, also had a resort about 2 or 3 miles from Bismarck on Highway 32. Ralph's son, Bob, has a business in Bismarck.
As far as is known Elvins has no official bird, song, tree, flag, flower, creed, motto, or selected Bible Psalms.
The 1960 presidential election in Elvins gave Mr. Nixon, Republican, 539 votes, and Mr. Kennedy, Democrat, 432 votes.
City of Elvins was incorporated in 1902 and Dr. Perkins was the first mayor. George West was the first marshal, Charles McCabe the second, and Frank Sutterfield the third. William Black was appointed night marshal in 1909 and was elected marshal in 1912, serving for 27 years.
City officials in 1947 were George H. Langdon, mayor; August Cook and Went Goad from Ward No. 1; William Meret and Joe Tinsley from Ward 2 and Harry Berryman and Fred Stange from Ward No. 3. Jonnie Hale was marshal, Fred Henson, clerk; and J. F. Sutterfield, collector.
The city hall was built about the year 1936 by the Works Progress Administration, known as the W.P.A. The following men laid the stone which was red granite: Elmer Bessenger, Ed Turner, Arch Downing, all of Elvins.
John G. Layne was born Jan. 29, 1861, on a farm one mile south of Elvins on the Bismarck road. He was the son of John Jones and Sarah Ann (Horton) Layne. Mr. Layne had spent his entire life in and around Elvins. In 1885 he married Harriet Ann Simms of Iron Mountain, Mo. They had seven children. Mrs. Layne died Feb. 15, 1897, and Mr. Layne then married Katie O'Haren.
D. L. Rivers, attorney, came to Elvins in 1901 from Bismarck, Mo.
Elvins first railroad depot was a frame building built in 1894 and was destroyed by fire in 1909 at the time the East Main Street from the river to the railroad was also destroyed by fire. Later the (1964) brick building was built. Both buildings were built by the Mississippi River and Bonne Terre Railroad. The Missouri-Pacific Railroad took the road over about 1932 and closed the depot about 1945-46. Names of some who were employed at the depot: Charles B. Acuff, T. C. Adams, John Clinton, Tom Richardson, T. R. Gibson, Joe Derque and a Mr. Reece.
The lead mill at Elvins was built by the Doe Run Lead Co. in 1908 and had a capacity at peak of 5000 tons daily. The mill later was enlarged. Aug. 3, 1917, the company sold their holdings to the St. Joseph Lead Co. for $10,671,255.00 Later the company sunk a shaft at the mill known as Shaft No. 16 and some of the rock in the area was hoisted here. In 1923 the St. Joseph Lead Co. purchased the Federal Lead Co. for $12,300,000.00 and a 30 year contract for smeltering two-thirds of St. Joe lead. The company had several mines and large mill. St. Joe operated the Doe Run Mill until Aug. 10, 1934, and closed it down and later moved the machinery and the building. The mill site was formerly the Frank Kenner home, comprised of 125 acres of land. Part of the mill site is on the Kenner Family Cemetery, where 7 or 8 bodies are buried.
(To Be Continued.)
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