Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/357

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 297 posed town of Ironton. Ironton was selected, and Tong and Carson, who owned the site, and whose influence had caused its selection, laid off the town and donated alternate lots to the county. These lots were sold at auction and brought the sum of $10,600.00. The new town, though handicapped by its nearness to Arcadia and Pilot Knob, experienced a fair growth owing in part to the mining industry, and in part to the presence of the county seat. In 1859 the population was about three hun- dred. The first paper in the town was the Furnace, a Free Soil paper, established in 1858 by James Lindsay. Ironton has not experienced anything in the nature of a boom, it has grown slowly and steadily being supported by the fact of its being the county seat and by the further fact that it is a delightful summer resort. The valley in which the town is situated is one of the most pleasant places in the state and it is perhaps the only town in Southeast Mis- souri that is used as a place of summer resi- dence by a large number of people. It is on the main line of the St. Louis Iron ]Iountain and Southern railway and is sufSciently near St. Louis to render it easy of access. It has a system of public schools and three churches. The Bank of Ironton was chartered in 1905 and has a capital stock of $15,000, the Iron County Bank was chartered in 1896 and has a capital stock of $10,000. The Iron County Register, one of the oldest newspapers in Southeast Missouri, is published here by Eli D. Ake. It is Democratic in polities and JIr. Ake is the dean of newspaper profession in this part of the state. The population of the town is 721. Arcadia 1 Arcadia was surveyed as a town in 1849 The first merchants were: Ezekiel Matthews, Smith & Love, John F. T. Edwards, William N. Gregory, G. B. Nail, Pease & Hill and Harris and Chinn. The first mill was erected in 1847 by Josiah and J. C. Berryman. It was a steam mill for grinding grain and saw- ing timber. The first newspaper in the town was the Arcadia Prospect established in 1859 by A. Coulter and W. L. Faber. The town was not incorporated until after this period. It is quite probable that Arcadia owes its existence as a town to the Arcadia high school. It was an institution founded by Eev. J. C. Berryman, and conducted under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The town grew up in part around this school. This school was transferred to the Ursuline Sisters and since operated by them. Ironton was laid off just a short distance north of Arcadia, became the county seat, and out- stripped the older town. It soon took on its distinguishing character as a residence town. No more beautiful situation exists in ^Missouri than Arcadia valley. IMany people came at- tracted l)y the many desirable residence fea- tures. The town suffered some during the war, but not greatly. On the lawn of Judge John W. Emerson, then the Union headquarters, Ulj'sses S. Grant received the commission pro- moting him from the rank of colonel to that of brigadier-general and putting him into command of Southeast Missouri. It was occu- pied at times by forces from both sides. After the war it resumed its normal course of development. Families of wealth from other parts of the state established summer homes for themselves amid the quiet and pleas- ant surroundings here. Finally the town at- tracted the attention of church people and there was established quarters for summer meetings and encampments of church people especially of the young peoples organizations