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Joplin Man's Ancestors Built Old LandmarkOn* of fhs district * nldsst landmark* and th* only *xlsting w#t*r po»*r flour mill In th* *r*a which w*a d**trnv*d hv fir* last was built In 1WI by anr**t,ir* of « r*tir*d Jopim physician Th* mat*rnal grandfather and '■ father of Dr Harry A. learning t21 North Joplin street. and • third man *r*ot*d th* frame structurt Th* m*n w*ra I*vld Smith, th* grandfather. Cal learning th* father, »nd th* third partner, John Barkley, *11 of whom h»d *mm: grated from lows * few y*ars earlier Th*v cam* to this are* *ft*r th* thr** h*d served In th* Union forr*» during tha war of th* r*h*llionTh*y flr*t settled at Wirtonl* K*n * mil* *nd * h*lf north of Crestline who* thev **t*h||»h#d * numh*r of l*nd claim*. For a \ear, Smith np*r*t*d * g*n*r*l met c handise at or* fr*ighting hi* good* by w»gon and t**m from ;Fort ScottSawed |,umh*r for Mill.A few y**r* latir, th* m*n *o|d 'heir claim* and purchased a *aw j mill. Moving to * location on Center creek. Ju*t *outh of ih*I pr**cnt «it« nf Smithfi*!d. they sawed th* lumh*r to build th* flour mill, which th*y operated about ;2b year* a* th* Smithfield mill i At that tlm*. th* mill w a* one jof th* few in th* *nt!r* four-state (district and Dal framing gold flour I j°v*r a wid* are*, including Joplin j jthen known a* Murphyshurg. He would deliver th* flour a* h* told it, driving a wagon and team.At on* time, h* wa* offered a 1 tract of land In a wooded area fort hi# team and a load of flour ;te refused the offer and that ♦met now i* in the heart of Joplin a business and shopping district, bounded by Fourth and Fifth street# and! Main and Joplin street*When th* Frisco railroad was built through th* north part of J*«P*r county, th* men moved their home* north and established ^mithfield which la n*n ed for ' David Smith Learning was Frisco agent several year* at SmithfieM after he and hia father and Rark ley aold th# mill.During thetr ownership and j scarcity of flour mills, their plant! I was operated day and night lt;ollc “Save#** Building.Dr. learning gays he is riedited with having 'saved * the mill when he was one year old. He explained the story that he once developed colic during the early morning hours His parents were aroused' by his illness and as thev were preparing a remedy for the child they discovered flsme* in the mill The building wa* saved hv r bucket brigade” and water from Center creek Grandfather Smith owned several ! *rge tracts of land in the Smith 1 field vicinity, all of which were rich farm lands, hut no lead and' zinc mines ever were developed on j any of th# proparties.The three original owner* of the mill sold it to Frank Roberta of I Carthage. who operated It several years with tha asaiatanr# of hia two brothers.I*ter, R J Smith and Nelson Amo* operated th* mill for a brief time.After that period, the mill changed hand# several time* until 1934. when It was purchased hv r J Morria, who haa operated It sine*Also Built lUm.The builders also constructed a concrete dam wher* th* mill issituated on a sharp b«nd in Centar ! IiOter, a warehouse and larger load ;creek Tha dam still Is In use in* dork w erectedr» .. . , ., , Seen in the left picture, center.During the winters, in those early ja ,||V,d Sm||h „t »h( ^ wUh'|davs, children would use a pool Mrs Smith and his son R Jhacked up by the dam for ice skat Smith At the right center pictureing when the water fror.e over is Cal learning Dr LearningsDuring the summers. bn\ s would father At the bottom Is Barkleyfish in the channel leading front The old mill's water wheel is notthe dam to the water wheel and vlsihle in the top picture since Itbeyond. i* at the rear of the buildingIn the top pictuie Is shown the With no definite derision vet . mill as it originally was built. Selt; made relative to rebuilding the that ha* witnessed theond from th* left in the group on mill, it mav mean a tragic passing °f much of th* districtsth* loading platform Is Rarkl*v iof on* of Ja*p*r county's antique early historyCirrussonFunf*ted I m*r in w hu hlt; hildt ei Irollmen 9 o', |c«. »• cording \ lihraria Ka* b for thi j hook l*t Th* cIf let will a bonk •*nt*d j plar* ilt; ! f*ct nf !as boo l I’pnti
Newspaper Details
Joplin Globe
Joplin, Missouri, US
Sun, May 28, 1950
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Joplin P.
MO, USA 27 Dec 2023
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