Celebrating National Historic Districts & Places That Matter

Mr. Charles Schifferdecker

Born August 28, 1851 | Died October 30, 1915
Businessman | Philanthropist | Capitalist

Charles Schifferdecker
Charles Schifferdecker

A lot can be said about Mr. Schifferdecker, one of Joplin’s most prominent citizens of his time. Originally from Baden, Germany, Mr. Schifferdecker worked with Mr. Edward Zelleken at Zelleken’s brewery and later the two opened a bottling business, then established a wholesale beer and ice business in Joplin.  Mr. Schifferdecker quickly moved on to the more lucrative banking and mining ventures.

Mr. Schifferdecker was not technically a “veteran,” but he enabled Joplin men to serve our country during the Spanish-American War in 1898.  He died during the middle of World War I.

But first a little background and facts about this brief war between the United States and Spain.

  • The United States involvement lasted only four months
  • One of the many reasons for the war was the sinking of the U.S. battleship Maine in Havana Harbor in Cuba on February 15, 1898
  • The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898
  • The Spanish government gave Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam to the U.S. and U.S. gave Spain $20 million dollars.
  • Theodore Roosevelt fought in the war before he was President
  • William McKinley was President
Schifferdecker House
Mr. Schifferdecker’s home at 422 South Sergeant Avenue and Mr. Zelleken’s home next door at 406 S. Sergeant are currently undergoing extensive restorations by Joplin Historical Neighborhoods, Inc.

According to Joel Livingston’s account of Mr. Schifferdecker:

His liberal was cheerfully extended to the Joplin Rifles, the first military company organized in Joplin, in 1881, and its ample equipment was largely due to him.

He was equally helpful in affording influence and means toward the organization of Company G, of the Second Regiment, National Guard of Missouri, for service in the Spanish American War, and his patriotic enthusiasm moved him to many acts of liberality while that command was in the field.

In the Joplin Keepsake Album, the authors chronicled the following about Company G:

Joplin men entered the war as “volunteers” because state guards could not serve as general defense.  However, the men of Company G were disappointed when they were never sent to the war zone.  Instead they were moved from camp to camp in the United States.  

…however, the boys of Company G fared well, distinguishing themselves as the regiment’s color guard and by their skill in the dress parade, which caused other regiments to break ranks and look on.

While Mr. Schifferdecker was no doubt admired for his generosity during the Spanish-American War, the German community in Joplin were not admired during World War I.  As explained in Joel Livingston’s account in the history of Jasper County, Missouri:

  • In 1876, when the Germania Social and Literary Society of Joplin formed, it had over fifty charter members.  Thus, it was a small, but established German community. 
  • At the height of World War I, there came a hysteria to the Joplin community [and the country] about people of German origin, and the town felt threatened by the
  • German community though unfounded fear.  One man, Gustav A. Brautigam that owned a local delicatessen literally had to leave town for fear of his life.

The following significant houses were built in the Murphysburg Historic District in 1898 and 1899 – boom due to sale of war supplies:

  •  William H. Miller House | 111 South Sergeant
  • Adam Scott House | 202 South Sergeant
  • William Picher House | 421 South Sergeant
  • George Lavery House | 608 South Sergeant
  • A. B. McConnell/Sol Newman House | 115 S. Moffet
  • John Wise House | 504 S. Byers
  • Alfred H. Rogers House | 623 West Fourth
  • A. L. James House | 619 West Second

Sources:

  • Wikipedia 
  • Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, MCMLXXXVI  
  • Joel T. Livingston. History of Jasper County, Missouri and Its People, Volumes 1 & 2.   Chicago, Illinois:  Lewis Publishing Company, 1912.   
  • Brad Belk, Andy Ostmeyer, Katy Schrader, and Leslie Simpson.  Joplin Keepsake Album.  St. Louis, Missouri: G. Bradley Publishing, Inc., 2000. Pages 32-33.   
  • Joel T. Livingston. History of Jasper County, Missouri
  • Historic Joplin

David Castle Tandy

Born 1823 | Died 1875 | Physician | Land Speculator

So, just who was Mr. David Castleman Tandy and what was his connection to our area?

If you own land in the Murphysburg Historic Residential District, specifically in Section 3, or land in other Joplin Sections 7, 10, 11 or 14, you might have seen the name of David C. Tandy on your abstract as the “original” owner of the land.  The abstract may also read, “Copy of Patent or Special Warranty Deed with dates of 1851, 1859, 1864, and “Consideration – Military Service”. Current landowners may assume that Mr. Tandy served in the military.

Self-proclaimed amateur history detectives Mary Anne Phillips and Paula Callihan decided to find out what branch of service and which war Mr. Tandy served in.  With the assistance of the Jasper County Records Department’s staff and volunteers, they discovered that the 1860 U.S. Census revealed David Tandy lived at 123 Olive in St. Louis and was married to Anna Cabell Castleman.  Mr. Tandy never resided in Joplin. According to the Bureau of Land Management’s website, Mr. Tandy acquired land all over the state of Missouri, not just in Joplin.

Continued research uncovered Mr. Tandy on the U.S. Civil War Draft Registration records from 1863-1865. The document revealed that he was a physician, that had been born in Kentucky and still lived on Olive Street in St. Louis. In the “remark” column, it revealed that Donald Cameron was hired as Tandy’s military “substitute” on November 16, 1864.  Cameron’s Civil War service was in the Eighteenth Regiment of the Missouri Infantry and was listed as a Private.

So, the question still remains—how did Tandy acquire land in Joplin? The answer lies in the Bounty-Land Warrants for Military Service, 1775-1855 Congressional Acts.  Starting in 1775, the United States granted bounty-land warrants for military service, including volunteer militias primarily to encourage volunteer enlistments. They also rewarded veterans for service during the Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, the Mexican War, a variety of Indian wars, Indian removals and other military actions during the 1850’s.

During that time the area was sparsly populated, the early Joplin pioneers, John Chandler Cox, Solomon Rothenberger, Reverend Harris Joplin and William Tingle civilized the area by forming a town.

Many veterans who received bounty-land did not take possession but sold them to another party.  The land that was granted was “public land” and the authority was granted through the “Scrip Warrant Act of 1855″.  U.S. land acquisition from Native Americans, Louisiana Purchase, etc. is a conversation for another day.

According to Joplin Title Company, the information on the actual signed Warrant has all of the necessary information going back to the land grant via the General Land Office in Springfield, Missouri. The abstract has “abbreviated” information and in this case, only shows Mr. Tandy. 

Following are some details on the original Joplin warranty deeds:

Section Three (Includes Murphysburg)           

A Fractional Quarter

  • President Millard Fillmore caused the letters to be made Patent
  • The US Government gave the land to William Cabell, a private in Captain Owen’s Company,of the Fourth Regiment of Kentucky Volunteers,
  • Land was transferred to John Chandler Cox, an assignee of  William Cabell on September 1, 1851                                                      

Southeast Quarter

  • President James Buchanan caused the letters to be made Patent
  • US Government gave the land  to John Ozman a private in Captain Bryan’s Company, Maryland Militia, War 1812
  • Ozman assigned the land to David C. Tandy on June 10, 1859

Did David Tandy buy the land grants from Ozman or did   he get them as an heir of his great-great grandfatherColonel William Cabell for his military service that includes:

  • Colonel William Cabell (1699- 1774) 
  • Graduated at the Royal College of Physicians of London
  • Surgeon in the Royal Navy, then emigrated to Virginia about 1723, where he obtained extensive grants of land along the James River
  • Appointed under Sherriff of Henrico 1726,
  • Justice of the first Goochland County Court, 1728-9
  • One of the first Justices of the first Court of Albermarle Co,.1744-1745
  • Capitan in the Indian Wars, 1726
  • First presiding Justice for the United States after the Declaration of Independence,
  • Chosen first Senator from the eighth district
  • Member of the Committee that prepared the Declaration of Rights             

Other sections of Joplin that David Tandy received or bought from heirs are:

Parts of Section Eleven

  • President James Buchanan caused the letters to be made Patent
  • The US Government gave the land to George Houck, Seaman, United States Ship Germantown, United States Navy, Mexican War
  • Houck assigned the land to David C. Tandy on June 10, 1859

Parts of Section Seven 

  • President James Buchanan caused the letters to be made Patent
  • The US Government gave the land to James Gould, Private, Captain Lynch’s Company, Maryland Militia, War 1812
  • Houck assigned the land to David C. Tandy on June 10, 1859

Parts of Sections Ten, Eleven, and Fourteen

  • President Abraham Lincoln caused the letters to be made Patent
  • The US Government gave the land to Benjamin Harding, a private in Captain Leigh’s Company, Virginia Militia, War 1812
  • Harding assigns the land to David C. Tandy on December 1, 1864

Yeats later,  tracts of land were laid out in town lots and sold to such notable people as Oliver H. Pitcher, Oliver S. Pitcher (early spelling for Picher), Mrs. Adelia Moffet, William Sergeant and W. P Davis, Patrick Murphy’s business partner.

As most history chasers would say that the more answers we find, the more questions we have. Colonel William Cabell was the great-great grandfather to both David and his wife Anna Cabell Castleman Tandy.

Sources: 

  • Archives of HMP, Inc.
  • Bureau of Land Management website
  • U. S. Census website captured on October 2, 2012
  • Civil War Registration
  • Congressional Acts – Bounty Land Warrants for Military Service 1775-1855
  • National Archives and Records Administration’s website http://www.archivs.gov
  • Find-A-Grave
  • Ancestry 

The Tale of Joplin’s Two United Service Organizations (USO) during World War II

HMP’s philosophy is to look at historical facts with a neutral eye.  In this spirit, HMP does not honor the practice of segregation, but rather recognizes the history that shaped our nation, state, city, and the armed services, plus those who gave of themselves.

The multi-level building at 306-312 South Wall Avenue borders the Historic Murphysburg Residential District on the east side of Pearl. In the late 1920’s  it was Farmer Motor Company and several mining and smelting companies. In the 1930’s and early 40’s it was the Quality Motors car dealership. Through the years the building was many different businesses such as manufacturing companies, optical laboratory, an insurance company, a wholesale supplier, and more. During World War II, the building housed the United Service Organization (USO) offices and recreation center.   

Because Joplin was a WWII hub for six defense centers and was within close proximity to Camp Crowder in Neosho, Missouri, the United Service Organization designated Joplin for a local USO site.  On March 3, 1942 the USO opened for soldiers, sailors, and 30,000 to 40,000 defense workers!

Mary Anne Phillips and husband James D. Scott have owned the building at 306-312 South Wall Avenue since 2000.  Jim’s business, Scott Electronic Systems, Inc. has operated out of the building since 1979.  Jim says it is a sturdy structure with six metal I-beams that span 40 feet to support the second floor.  Special features on the second floor include a mezzanine surrounded by offices, a large skylight, and transoms above the office doors. Mary Anne believes that many artifacts remained with the building through the years such as chairs, a glass display case, and draperies because they are depicted in a postcard the couple acquired from Paula Callihan.

Pictured here is a 1940’s postcard of the interior of the USO at 310 South Wall Avenue. The other is photo a fabric found years later in the building.  The current owners discovered from the postcard that the fabric they found was a remnant of the draperies used for the USO.

But that is not the end of the story. According to minutes of the Joplin USO Council, 1941-1946, (courtesy of the Joplin History & Mineral Museum), it was not long before the USO Council faced an unforeseen dilemma.  Some “colored troops,” 2000 in number, were scheduled to arrive at Camp Crowder.  Joplin officials questioned how to accommodate them, since the black population in Joplin was small, only 854.

Committee member W. H. Maher made a passionate plea, declaring “Those men are wearing the uniform of the United States…We are talking about American soldiers…and we owe the duty (USO services) to the colored soldiers as much as…the white soldiers.  I believe there should be no racial or religious distinction.”  He did, however, suggest that, “The negroes preferred to have their own group.”

On February 6, 1944 with much ceremony by white and black dignitaries, the Main Street (Negro) USO Club opened in an old building at 221 South Main Street. Less than a year after its opening, due to the reduction in black troops at Camp Crowder, the club was ordered shut down.  An appeal was made to the USO executive in Kansas City to retain the facility.  The colored soldiers stationed at Camp Crowder stated they were appreciative of the Joplin facility and it is better than any they had found elsewhere.

QUICK FACTS

The Wall Street USO closed its doors on June 30, 1946.  The Main Street USO remained in operation for another three months until all of the black soldiers had left the camp.

Over one million soldiers passed through Joplin’s USO clubs during the war years.

While the building that housed the Wall Street USO is still in use today, the Main Street USO building is gone and is now the site of Commerce Bank.

Additional Resources

Click here to learn more about the United Services Organization, Inc., or write  P. O. Box 9680, Washington, D. C. 20077- 7677

Sources:

  • James D. Scott Family Archives
  • Brad Belk, David Cunningham, Andy Ostmeyer, and Leslie Simpson  Joplin Souvenir Album,  St.  Louis, Missouri: G. Bradley Publishing, Inc., 2001. Pages 16-17.
  • Callihan Postcard collection

The Olivia Hotel and Apartments

Austin Allen, Architect
Dieter Wetzel, Builder
Listed on the National Register in 2008

The Olivia had a well-deserved reputation as the “handsomest apartment house in the West.” Arthur Bendelari, a civil and mining engineer from Canada, moved to Joplin during the mining boom. He commissioned architect Austin Allen and the contracting firm Dieter and Wenzel to construct this 5-story, $150,000 masterpiece. Construction began February of 1906, and it was open in October that same year.

Arthur Bendelari had a reputation for being a well-liked charmer. He owned one of the town’s first automobiles, and he would race anyone anytime, especially if it involved wagering. He named the Olivia after his mother, Mary Olivia Bendelari.

Decorated in “Pompeian fashion,” the public spaces of the Olivia sparkled with solid Italian marble. The lobby decor impressed all who crossed the threshold where mosaic tiles spelled out “Olivia.” Passing through the elaborate rotunda, visitors entered the reception room, finished in old ivory and lit by skylights and a large leaded glass window with the name “Olivia” expertly crafted in multi-colored glass. A highly polished oak staircase spiraled up from the lobby, connecting all five floors. Electric elevators, both passenger and freight, also provided easy access to all parts of the building. A uniformed attendant provided 24-hour elevator service.

The red brick Olivia comprised 34 one and two-bedroom apartments, for a total of 110 rooms. Some of the larger apartments had almost 2,000 square feet of living space. All of them featured built-ins, fireplaces, marble bathrooms with claw-foot tubs, and every labor-saving device known at the time. Tenants enjoyed bright airy rooms with French doors opening onto private balconies. A roof garden overlooked the city, affording spectacular views in all directions. On clear days, one could even see Webb City. Trolley lines ran down 4th Street, right next to the building, taking residents wherever they wanted to go.

The Olivia’s Current Situation:

After many false starts and a tragic fire in December 2020, this Murphysburg landmark is being
restored by Blue Haven Homes and Bykota REI, along with Neal Group Construction &
Restoration.

Preservation Efforts & Updates:

Olivia Apartment fire news image
  • HMP partnered with stakeholders including the City of Joplin and the current owner to find ways to stabilize the structure.
  • Downtown Joplin Alliance uses grant funds to conduct a professional assessment on December 11.  Fire damage was limited in scope to the roof structure and the first-floor area below the lower roof.  The decorative domed ceiling in the lobby has collapsed onto the floor, which has also partially collapsed.  However, the exterior masonry and all floor structure areas are in sound condition and the building can still be rehabilitated.
  • October 29, 2020: The Olivia is named one of Missouri’s “Places in Peril”
  • December 7, 2020: The Olivia Apartments suffer fire damage (view drone footage of fire damage)
  • December 17, 2020: Bywater Development’s application for tax credits to help pay for the renovation is denied by the Missouri Housing Development Commission
  • Bywater Development withdraws from the offer to purchase The Olivia from Scott Tillman with Tillman Redevelopment of Springfield
  • Fall 2021: New developers are making … progress to bring The Olivia back to her grandeur
  • Good News Update February 12, 2021: City officials propose investment in Olivia building: Council to consider $250,000 agreement
Historic photo of the Olivia early 20th century
Lobby of the Olivia
Lobby of the Olivia
Olivia interior
Olivia floor plan
Olivia floor plan
Olivia floor plan
Historic photo of the Olivia
Doorman opening door to the Olivia
Olivia stained glass window