Advance train station: Forgotten history?
A unique view from the past
One of my favorite blogs out there on the internet is written by Ken Steinhoff, a very talented photographer, who now lives in Florida but who began his career at Cape Central High in the 60's. His origins explain the name of his blog--Cape Central High.com--but the name does NOT do him justice, as the blog is about so MUCH MORE than Cape Central and the stories surrounding that Cape Girardeau high school.
Ken has saved "sleeves" of negatives from waaaaaay back--and he's always going through them to find tid bits of history that his readers might find interesting. After I found him on the Missourian site several years ago, I asked to be notified by email every time he posted a new blog (which is EVERY DAY: How does the man do it??).
I've referred to him on this blog before (can't remember the topic). He must have my blog bookmarked, because he often responds, most recently with the most wonderful information relating to my Florida blog about the smallest post office in the U.S.
I admit to some professional jealousy, since Ken is fully 100 times the photographer and journalist I am--but I'm just smart enough to appreciate it.
Ken called me Thursday night while I was at the Advance school board meeting, and I'm very glad I answered the phone. He had some photos of the old Advance train depot, and he was trying to figure out where it was located in relationship to the Advance of today. I knew that the railroad had followed the current Highway C from east to west, but I wasn't sure of the depot's location. After the meeting, I called 96-year-old Advance resident Paul Corbin and asked if I could give Ken his phone number, so they could hash it out. He agreed, so I did just that. Ken posted his blog the next morning. You can see it at www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/advance-train-depot/
As important as the blog are the comments from readers, providing even more historical documentation.
Railroad "advanced" to current location
Surprisingly, some local residents still do not know how Advance got its name. The town should have been called Lakeville, and it should have been located about 2 miles east of the current location. Lakeville, shown on the maps of 1867, was a prosperous little town of about 200, located on the Cape-to-Bloomfield Road and frequented by travelers going north and south.
However, when railroad tycoon Louis Houck wanted to build his line through the area in 1881, he was too stingy to pay the $30 per acre that Jacob Kappler wanted at Lakeville. Instead, Houck paid $10 an acre for 80 acres owned by Joshua Mabery. Houck told his men to "advance" to the new location, which was first called New Lakeville. Obviously, that name didn't stick.
Train plays important part in tornado of 1963
Ken really hit the nail on the head with his Advance train depot blog, as his readers added even more related details, including the fact that the Frisco engineer saved a number of lives in 1963, when a tornado was swooping down on Advance from the west. The train, coming east from Zalma, was just ahead of the tornado, and the engineer blew the whistle, warning the town. The old Inland Shoe Factory was directly in the path, and, because of the warning, the workers were able to get out in time. Thousands of shoes--instead of human bodies--were scattered for miles! The son of the Frisco agent posts on Ken's blog with the man's name--Dewey Stratton!
A Missouri Railroad Pioneer: the Life of Louis Houck
Ken also gives a plug for Joel Rhodes' recent biography of Louis Houck. I was pleased to read that he pried the cash out of his pocket to purchase the Houck book, which is an excellent and highly readable account of life in early Southeast Missouri!
San Francisco Railway Historical and Modeling Society
But wait! There's MORE!! Advance resident Keith Robinson posts on Ken's blog with a link to the Frisco Railway site at http://www.frisco.org/ and directs interested folks to check it out.
Wow! I wonder if Ken knew how many historical rewards would be reaped by this one blog??
Jacob Kappler's great-great granddaughter
But wait! There's MORE!! Jacob Kappler's granddaughter, Barbara Bowers Campbell, saw Ken's blog and posted on it, with even more historical data from the past!
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So, dear readers, forgive me if I rave a bit too much, but I just had to share this information and record it in a place where I can find it again! The beauty of these blog topics is that we never know where they'll lead!
From the ancient hills of Tillman, this is your rural reporter, Madeline, longing for a glimpse of that old Frisco train, chugging through Advance, where no trace of it remains...
Comments
- -- Posted by ksteinhoff on Sun, Mar 13, 2011, at 7:18 PM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Mon, Mar 14, 2011, at 5:58 AM
- -- Posted by ksteinhoff on Mon, Mar 14, 2011, at 9:10 AM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Mon, Mar 14, 2011, at 11:08 AM
- -- Posted by wartz on Wed, Mar 16, 2011, at 8:59 PM
- -- Posted by Dexterite1 on Sat, Mar 19, 2011, at 6:56 AM
- -- Posted by Dexterite1 on Sat, Mar 19, 2011, at 6:56 AM
- -- Posted by goat lady on Mon, Mar 21, 2011, at 6:32 AM
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