Hartford Newspaper Articles
THREE MILE HOUSE DESTROYED BY FIRE
Source: Alton Telegraph, July 5, 1867
The building known as the Three Mile House, located on the Sand
Ridge, three miles below Alton [Hartford - Wood River area], was
burned on Saturday night last. The building, furniture, and stock
were valued at $10,000; insured for $6,000. The cause of the fire
is, as usual, “unknown.” The house and contents were the property of
H. K. Smith.
EDWARDSVILLE CROSSING (HARTFORD) TRAIN WRECK –
TWO MEN KILLED AND ONE WOUNDED
Source: Alton Daily Telegraph, August 02, 1892
Last night about 9 o'clock the Cincinnati Night Express on the Big
Four, going east, met with an accident at Edwardsville Crossing that
was most disastrous in its results. At the time mentioned, the
train, which runs at a very high rate of speed, ran through an open
switch at the Crossing, causing the death of the engineer and
fireman, and the probably fatal injury of a tramp who was riding on
the front of the mail car. His name is Samuel Cosgrove of Newport,
Kentucky. When the engine ran onto the switch, it plunged into a
string of freight cars, smashing them and the engine badly. The
engine then veered to the west and crossed another sidetrack,
pulling it up and dragging it to one side, torn and distorted. A
telegraph pole was in the way, and this went off like it was a
straw. On the engine went, until it struck the ditch on the right of
the C. & A. track. Here it overturned, and was rendered a mass of
old iron. Wheels were distributed around in all directions. The
trucks of freight cars were knocked out. The cab was rendered into
kindling. No one could have recognized that the boiler and the heap
of ruins was once a model locomotive. The mail car, dismantled and
stone in, was tilted in the air across the main track of the Big
Four. The baggage car was thrown in almost the same position across
the Alton track. In this car was a valuable horse belonging to F. D.
Comstock. When the crash came, none of the occupants of these cars
were hurt, strange as it may seem, and when the cars stopped, the
horse walked out as if accustomed to such performances. The baggage
car was stove up, but was not so badly injured as the other cars.
None of the passengers were hurt. The engineer and fireman were
buried under the wreck of the engine, but they were dead before the
monster came on them. As the engine started to plunge, Engineer
Edward Hoffman, who was in charge of the train, was struck on the
left side of the head and then badly scalded, resulting in his
death. Fireman W. A. Barrett was also instantly killed, having one
side of his head completely torn off. Both bodies were brought to
this city, and prepared for burial by Undertaker Howell, and were
this morning shipped to Mattoon, the homes of the deceased. Engineer
Hoffman is about 44 or 45 years of age, and has a family living in
Mattoon. He was a member of the Masonic order, being a Knight
Templar. The fireman, Bartlett, was a young man, only 23 years of
age. It is supposed that the switch was left open by a freight train
which had preceded the wrecked train. The tramp, who had both limbs
badly crushed and was otherwise injured, was brought here and placed
in St. Joseph's Hospital. He is so badly hurt that there is but
little hope of his recovery. The wreck, which consisted of the
engine and mail car of the passenger train and the box cars into
which the train ran, was scattered over both the Big Four and C. &
A. tracks, delaying the Chicago and Kansas City mail trains of the
latter road several hours. Work on the wreckage began at once and
continued all night and a good portion of today.
DEATH COULD NOT BREAK EMBRACE - SKELETONS FOUND NEAR POAG
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, January 6, 1906
Farmers in the vicinity of Poag, below Edwardsville Crossing
[present-day Hartford], are wondering considerably and worrying some
over the identity of two skeletons of humans found a few days ago
near that place, buried in the sandy banks of the Cahokia creek. No
one is missing from that immediate locality whose absence has not
been accounted for, but the impression is that they came from above
and not a great distance either. Fred Archer, who purchased what was
known as the Busch place on the electric line, two miles below Poag,
decided to strengthen the levees against possible inundation from
the creek. It was while engaged in excavating in the timber close to
the edge of the stream that the remains were found. The bones were
about four feet underground, and the fact that the skeletons had the
arms in a close embrace leads some to believe that they are the
remains of persons drowned in the overflow and swept to that place,
being covered with sand by the current. Others believe that they are
evidence of a murder, and show a hurried burial.
FARMHAND TRIES TO WIPE OUT WHOLE FAMILY
Alton Evening Telegraph, June 22, 1911
Gus Smith, aged 27, was wounded in the right shoulder, the ball
going clear through the young man, and his two brothers, Frank and
Berthold Smith Jr. were shot at by William Schorrs, a farmhand,
Wednesday afternoon on the farm of Berthold Smith Sr. near Wood
River. The shooting was done from ambush to satisfy an old grudge.
Three weeks ago, Gus Smith, the oldest brother, had quarreled with
Schorrs, who is a relative. Schorrs worked on the Hockstra place
about a mile from the Smith place. The three Smith brothers were
plowing, and late in the afternoon as they were rounding the end of
their furrows, Gus Smith was shot at by Schorrs who was lying behind
a shock of wheat. The would-be-assassin was so close to his victim
that Smith's shoulder was powder burned. The shooting was done from
behind, the ball entering the right shoulder and emerging in front.
Schorrs carried an army rifle, and after shooting at Gus Smith, he
turned the gun on the two other brothers. Gus, after being wounded,
started to run, and so did Frank. Schorr shot once at Frank and
twice at Berthold Jr., his revenge evidently taking in the whole
family, and he doubtless intended to kill all three of the brothers
so there would be no evidence of his crime. The three boys got to
the house, then called for help. The assassin was not seen again, as
no attention was paid to him and he was allowed to escape. Word was
sent to Alton for a surgeon, and for the deputy sheriff to go to
Wood River to help hunt for Schorrs, but too long a time had elapsed
and no trace of Schorrs could be found.
Berthold Smith Sr., the father of the boys who were shot at, came to
Alton today with A. T. Head to swear out a warrant for the arrest of
Schorrs. Mr. Smith was very quiet about the cause of the trouble,
but it developed that some time ago Schorrs had been staying at the
Smith home. Schorrs is a cousin of Mrs. Smith. He was not known for
industry, and preferred to dress fine and shine in society. Mr.
Smith, who is a hardworking, industrious man, and believes in hard
work, did not approve of Schorr's way of living, so he let him know
his presence there was not desired. This led to the ill feeling that
Schorrs bore to the Smith family, it is supposed, in the absence of
further information that Schorrs determined to be revenged upon his
cousin by slaughtering the three sons who were at work in the field
plowing. According to Mr. Smith, Gus Smith was not over 20 feet away
from Schorr when the shot was fired. It happened that Gus was
stooping over in the act of turning his plow around at the end of
the row, when Schorrs fire, and but for the fact that Gus did stoop,
he would probably have been shot in the head. The ball which pierced
the young man's body ranged upward after entering just below the
shoulder blade. The size of the hole indicates it must have been a
44-calibre ball. Then Gus started to run, after almost falling to
the ground. Schorrs then took a shot at Frank Smith who was a short
distance away and missed him. Berthold Smith Jr. was a half mile
away and did not know what was going on. Schorrs ran toward him, and
when about 200 yards distant he took two shots at the boy. Berthold
hurriedly drove his team away, but the other two teams stood in the
field until near 8 o'clock, when A. T. Head went after them. The
shooting happened at 5:30 o'clock, and it was almost 9 before Dr.
Shaff arrived and dressed the wound. The wounded man had lost much
blood, and the greatest danger lay in his exhaustion from blood
loss. Mr. Smith offered a reward of $250 for the arrest of his son's
assailant. The warrant charges assault with intent to murder the
three Smith boys. It was learned from relatives of the family that
Schorr was in love with one of the daughters of Berthold Smith Sr.,
and the girl being his second cousin, Schorr's suit was discouraged.
He wanted to marry the girl and finally was forced to leave the
place. It is said that Schorr made a threat that he would kill the
whole Smith family and that he made no secret of his enmity. Mr. and
Mrs. Smith have six sons and five daughters, and while the report
was somewhat disquieting, they did not worry much over the threats
of Schorr. When the shooting occurred Wednesday evening there was
wild alarm in the family, and none of them would even go out to
bring in the teams which had been left standing in the field.
Skeleton of William Schorrs Found - Suicide is the Theory
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, August 21, 1911
The fleshless skeleton of William Schorrs was found Sunday afternoon
in tall grass of what was once the bed of Grassy Lake, by Frank and
Berthold Schmid, two of the sons of Berthold Schmid Sr., who were
shot at by Schorrs on the afternoon of June 21 from ambush. Gus
Schmid, the young man wounded by Schorrs at the time of the
shooting, and who is recovering from the wound in his breast where a
Springfield army rifle ball pierced his body, was not with the other
two brothers when the skeleton was found. It was a strange fate that
led the two brothers to the place where their assailant had ended
his own life, and that they should find his skeleton and identify
it, seems remarkable to all who learned about it. A price on his
head, aggregating $700, $500 of which was offered by Berthold Schmid
Sr., and the other $200 by a brother, John Schorrs of Sunbury, Iowa,
who believed his brother could be vindicated by showing just cause
for the shooting, William Schorrs, the fugitive, probably concluded
to end his life rather than face trial on a charge of attempted
murder and perhaps murder. He was supposed to have taken refuge in
the tall grass and thicket that surround the lake, and it was known
that if he was there, a desperate man, armed and ready to defend
himself, his capture would be difficult. None of the county officers
would make the attempt. Cards were sent out broadcast bearing his
picture, and his escape would be very difficult. He disappeared
completely, although what now appears to have been false information
came from Fidelity that Schorrs had been seen there at the home of a
relative. The finding of the skeleton Sunday afternoon came as an
incident of a hunt for blackbirds on the part of the two Schmid
brothers. They went armed everywhere since the shooting, as Schorrs
had threatened to exterminate the family because Berthold Schmid Sr.
refused to countenance the suit of Schorrs, for Miss Ida Schmid, who
was a second cousin of Schorrs. The boys stumbled over the skeleton
lying in grass that was man high, where water had formerly been two
feet deep. The lake having been drained revealed the body. It is
supposed that Schorrs, despairing of escaping, waded into the
shallow water shot himself and then lay down in the water to drown
if he did not kill himself instantly. His rifle was about five feet
distant. All the flesh had disappeared. On the backbone of the body
was lying a shell watch charm, which the boys identified as one
Schorrs had owned. On the waist was a belt with a large metal buckle
they also identified. In the pocket of the garments was a watch
which the Schmid brothers did not touch, as they preferred to wait
until Coroner Streeper had been called to take charge of the
skeleton. However, they were satisfied that the skeleton was that of
the fugitive. Others who were called to the scene were satisfied of
this also. Owing to the difficulty in getting to the place because
of the tall grass and brush, the coroner did not go down until
today. Ever since the shooting on June 21, the Schmid place has been
guarded and members of the family in a state of terror. Someone was
on guard against night attacks for a long time after the shooting,
and it was feared Schorrs would return to work his vengeance on the
family because of his failure to find favor for his courtship of Ida
Schmid. Berthold Schmid Sr., the father, never relaxed his efforts
to find Schorrs, and refused to converse about the matter with
anyone. He heard reports several times of Schorrs being in various
places. However, the finding of the skeleton seems to set at rest
all doubt of what really happened. The skeleton was about fifty
yards from the wheat shock where Schorrs hid when he shot Gus Schmid
from ambush on the afternoon of June 21. It is believed that Schorrs
killed himself soon after he shot at his cousins, the fleshless
condition of the bones indicating that death occurred long ago.
There are some who think he may have gone away, and afterward
returned to the scene of the shooting to fulfill his threatened
vengeance, and that he found too strong a guard and that he, failing
in his purpose, determined to end his life. coroner Streeper held an
inquest Monday morning and a verdict of suicide was found. The body
was positively identified further by a memorandum book containing
Schorr's name, also that of his father, Jacob Schorr of Sunbury,
Iowa, to whom the coroner sent a telegram asking instructions as to
the disposition of the skeleton. The jury consisted of J. A. Hend,
John Henry, Dr. L. L. Yerkes, Will Yenny, Al Dixon and R. F.
Hoeckstra. The place where the body was found was about 100 feet
from the old bank of the lake, and 50 feet from the water edge at
present. It was lying in a mat of water lilies and willows. A hole
in the skull showed where the ball had passed through. In the
clothes was found 40 loaded cartridges, and four more were found in
the handkerchief. They were forty-five calibre. The rifle lying
under Schorr's leg had an empty shell in it. Richard Westerholt and
E. F. Hoeckstra said that they heard a report of a gun after the
shooting at the Schmid boys, and believed that was the shot that
killed Schorrs.
INTERNATIONAL SHOE COMPANY TANNERY, HARTFORD
TANNERY WILL BE LARGEST INDUSTRY
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, May 16, 1916
The details of the plans of the International Shoe Co. for the
tannery which it will erect at Hartford indicate that this will be
one of the greatest industrials that has ever located at Alton. It
is not only the tannery that is to be considered, but a host of cut
leather industries which will follow in the train of the coming of
the tannery. It has been announced that the details of the option
were closed up Monday in St. Louis by H. J. Bowman. The plan is for
a plant that will produce 5,000 hides every day. The magnitude of
the plant may be realized when it is said that some of the tanning
processes of some kinds of leathers require eight months. The
tannery will furnish the leather to be used in all of the
twenty-three shoe factories of the International Shoe Co. The tract
which will be bought belongs to Mrs. Virginia Bowman. It is situated
in Wood River township, south of the Illinois Terminal railroad and
east of the Big Four railroad, and is one-half mile south of the
Wood River Refinery. The amount of money to be spent on the plant is
said to be in the neighborhood of $8,000,000.
The plant will be built in separate units, and it is said it will
require three years to complete it. When finished, the plant will
employ 1,200 men, and no women or children. It will be made the
nucleus of a number of plants for the fabrication of leather, and a
settlement will be established there. Part of the employees will
live in the city of Alton, and part of them in the vicinity of the
plant. To accommodate the company, assurances have been given by the
Clark Syndicate that ample electric interurban transportation
facilities will be provided, and if necessary, the line between
Alton and Hartford will be doubled-tracked. With the growing
strength of the other industries and the increased demand for labor
from Alton made by them, the addition of this large army of helpers
will make necessary the double-tracking of the interurban line. It
has been assured that to take care of the new business, the Alton,
Granite and St. Louis Traction Co. will establish a five-cent fare
from Alton to Hartford.
The statement is made on authority of the International Shoe Co.
that this tannery will be the biggest in the country - in face, will
have the capacity of any three of the largest tanneries in the
United States. R. D. Griffin, who will be general manager of the
plant, lives at Edwardsville. He has been conducting the
negotiations for the purchase of the plant. Mr. Griffin says that
the purchase of the land is conditioned upon the finding of the same
quality and volume of water as is found on the Standard Oil Wood
River Refinery grounds. Of this there is no doubt. Water is found in
great volumes under all this land by the sinking of drive wells. For
a tannery, there is needed an immense amount of water and also good
facilities for disposing of the sewage taken from the tanning
process. The fact that on the land on all sides of the site selected
for the tannery, manufacturing industries were relying on wells to
furnish them with millions of gallons of pure filtered water every
day, and the further fact that the river was so close that it would
be easy to get sewage disposed of counted heavily in the decision
coming to Alton. Arrangements have been made for the giving of an
easement over the Bowman land from the site to the river, also for a
sewer to pass over the land and for wharfage privileges at the
river. The Bowmans will build a cinder road from the site to the
river. In this connection it may be said that the Bowmans have given
an option on the land at a very low price, H. J. Bowman Jr. acting
for his mother, put a price on the land that was a very attractive
one, and many times less than the best prices given elsewhere.
There were about fifty seekers after the plant. East St. Louis and
the Hartford site were the final contenders, and the Hartford site
won because of the numerous advantages offered. The Alton Board of
Trade has been the principal factor in securing the plant. For four
months the Board of Trade was working on it. The former
secretary-manager, W. H. Joesting, had made out the brief of Alton
and had done much work toward convincing the International Shoe Co.
that the best place for the factory is the Alton industrial
district. He was engaged on this work when he resigned his position,
and on condition that he would finish this work he was given his
release by the Board of Trade at the time he took the position with
the Equitable Powder Co. The Board of Trade was therefore entitled
to the credit of landing the industry. The locating of the tannery
on the extreme edge of the Alton industrial district will be a big
thing for the whole district. The possibilities of this plant are
great. It is expected that it will be in course of construction
within thirty days. All the financial arrangements have been made by
the International Shoe Co. to go ahead with the tannery project. The
shoe company has been experiencing much difficulty in procuring the
leather it needs for the making of shoes. Most of the big tanneries
are in the East. In the West is the place where hides come from, and
much can be saved in the freight on the hides by having a tannery
near the center where the hides originate. The shoe company will
press work of construction on its new plant. It is said that the new
industry is the greatest that has been located at Alton inasmuch as
it will draw others of allied trades to it. The state aid road
leading to Alton will give Alton a good advantage, as will also the
interurban line, in getting benefits therefrom. The people of the
village of Wood River think that their village will be greatly
benefited by the new industry. They expect that there will be a much
greater demand for new houses in Wood River than there is now, and
that the village will increase largely in value. The moral value of
Alton capturing this industry will be great. It will be much easier
now for the Board of Trade to win over some other industries which
are about ready to make a decision and which have been urged to come
to Alton district and settle down because of the many advantages
here that have already proved alluring to such big corporations as
the Standard Oil, Federal Lead, Alton boxboard and Paper Co., and
which developed such home institutions as the Western Cartridge,
Equitable Powder, and the Beall Bros.
TANNERY WORK STARTS ON MONSTER BUILDING
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, July 20, 1916
The first construction work of the big tannery down at Hartford is
starting in real earnest, and the first building constructed will be
the main factory building and will be the biggest factory building
in this section of the country. The building as planned calls for
six stories and will be 800 feet long and 100 feet wide. The
materials for the construction of this building are coming in, and
the tool shed is already constructed. The work on this building will
take a long time because of the great amount of brick laying and
because of the great amount of material to be used.