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History of Harwood tells of industry, citizenship
HARWOOD -- Drive the 20 meandering miles northeast on U.S. 54 and C and Y Highways from Nevada to Harwood and you sense what it must have been like around here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, crossing the countryside on a horse, in a stagecoach or buggy or behind the black, chuffing steam locomotives that made this pastoral setting into a town peopled with busy pioneers.
This Vernon County village only has about 80 residents now, but in its heyday it had as many as 300 brought by the 1881 arrival of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas, or "Katy," Railroad.
Founders Charles and Annie Brown of St. Louis were natives of Scotland who bought the land on which the town was laid out and sold it to a Methodist minister who is now remembered only as "Mr. Harwood."
"The townspeople wanted to name it Brownsville in honor of Mr. Brown, but he suggested it be named Harwood, honoring his friend who had so generously purchased the land," the 1855-2005 Nevada & Vernon County's Heritage book says.
"The MK&T built a depot in January 1883 as a station midway between Fort Scott, Kan., and Clinton, Mo., and referred to it as Midway. Harwood was the closest point to El Dorado Springs by rail and debarking passengers relied on stagecoaches to continue their journey.
"Horse-drawn buggies were also available for hire at the livery stable. In 1895, Harwood had two general stores, a hardware and furniture store, drug store, harness shop, millinery (women's hat shop), grain delivery, hay shippers, restaurant, two blacksmiths and two hotels, the Depot and the Hotel Thompson."
The 1982 Harwood Centennial book says the town had three early 20th century newspapers, the Harwood Citizen, the Harwood Times and the Harwood Hummer, among which the Hummer, published by W.A. Gray, was the most successful.
The May 1, 1916, edition described a week-long National Guard of Missouri encampment beginning July 16 at the U.S. Rifle Range southeast of Nevada. "Increased interest is being shown at Washington and it is now almost certain that the National Guard organization will be federalized along the lines laid down by Gen. H.C. Clark of Nevada, whose brief on the subject was accepted as authority and incorporated into the Congressional Record after being adopted by the military committee of the lower House of Congress," the Hummer said.
Retired Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Floyd Smith and his wife Hilda live next door to the stately white Harwood United Methodist Church that was opened in 1892 and continued until its membership dropped to four in late 2007.
The octogenarian couple, former members, reported finding and preserving numerous interesting documents when cleaning the building after its closure. A notice is still posted behind glass to recommend a transfer of membership six miles north-northeast to Schell City UMC.
For 43 1/2 years, Floyd and Rozella Gammon ran perhaps the most important business in local history other than the railroad, Harwood Elevator. "The elevator had been closed for two years or more when my brother-in-law, Harry Gammon, returned from the Korean War in 1953," said Rozella.
"We bought corn, wheat, soybeans and oats and handled seed, fertilizers, bolts and nails in the office. We had customers from across the Osage River in St. Clair County, as far south as Dederick, where I was born, east to El Dorado Springs and west to Nevada. We covered quite an area."
She said the elevator could store 17,000 bushels when the Gammons bought it and they expanded with 20,000 and 30,000 bushel metal bins to a capacity of 200,000. "We dealt with George and Gentry Steincross at the Bank of Harwood and put money back into the business," Rozella said.
Metz Grain Co. bought the elevator at auction on Sept. 28, 1996, when 433 prospective buyers bought tickets, she said. It is now owned by the regional Mid-West Fertilizer & Propane, which maintains an active business at 101 S. Brown St.
"We had a high school with a nice gym and we'd go and watch basketball of an evening," Rozella said. "O.W. Waggoner had the grocery store and when he retired he sold it to Gaylord Vickers and Everett Hallam. Mrs. Pearl True was the postmaster for 25 years. Now it's Karen Coy. We have had lots of Amish move in in the last 15 years.
"My late husband also had the J.I. Case franchise and sold tractors and implements. Our son Stanton has car washes in Walker, Nevada and El Do and I have three great-grandsons. I'm the oldest person in town. I'm 88."
The Gammons lived "in the country" three miles south of town, row cropping and raising cattle and hogs, until moving into Harwood 40 years ago, Rozella said.
In a late 1964 open "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" letter, True may have expressed Harwood's character as well as anyone ever did. "Fate has decreed that the 'Old' must give way to the 'Young,'" she wrote in an invitation to her Jan. 31, 1965, retirement.
"That 'Time' has come in my life, as I have reached the mandatory age for retirement from the Postal Service. I have labored among some of you since May 28, 1940, and I wish to thank you one and all for your patronage, your cooperation and your patience during these years.
"May my successor find as loyal and as congenial a folk to deal with as I have. May God bless you and yours. Your Postmaster, Pearl M. True."
The Harwood history says the postal inspector from Springfield and postal real estate officer from Kansas City were among the 140 people who attended.