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Memories of Hematite - by
Faye Hensley Brewer (b. Mar 6, 1916 - d. Jul
06, 2009)
(Written - unknown date)
Transcribed by Lisa K.
Gendron
In 1915, my parents,
Raymond and Evelyn Hensley, moved to Hematite, Mo., bought a house and the old
rock mill on the west side of Joachim Creek - which was built in 1855 and was
used to grind flour and corn meal. At this time, 1915, my father converted the
mill into a dairy barn which still stands, but was converted into a home around
1977.
Up the street on the left
corner was a two story building, owned by Sam Seats, who was a blacksmith. He
used the first floor for this purpose and built wooden caskets on the second
floor. To the left of this building, at the end of the street, was the Hematite
Christian Church and cemetery. It was built around 1871 and had been remodeled
- destroyed by fire in 1974.
On the opposite end of the
street was a General Store. It had the post office in it and was owned by D.O.
Jarvis. Across the railroad tracks, and on Main Street, on the corner, was a
one story building painted green, which was an ice cream parlor, and was called
"The Green" where the teenagers hung out.
Across the street on Main
Street (on Main Street) was a home owned by John Potter and family. He had a
barber shop in his home.
Coming on up the street
was a two story brick building. (which still stands) It was another General
Store owned by Bill and Edna Politte. Next to that was another two story
building. On the first floor they sold gasoline and worked on cars and they
lived on the second floor.
Making a right, and going
up the hill, was the Perkins Place, a two story stucco, built in 1883. It was said
to be the first concrete two story house erected in Jefferson County, and
possibly the first in the State of Missouri. When I was a child, Mrs. Gaffney
and her two daughters owned this house. It was later sold to Tom and Bertha
Cooper.
Next was a one room school
house which has been remodeled several times. On up the street was a two story
home (still stands but has been remodeled several times) owned by Dr. Elders,
who had his office in his home.
The Hematite Methodist
Church was built in 1836 and is still used as a church.
The Eli Donnell home,
located about one and one-half miles north of Hematite, was built in 1867-69 of
hand made bricks.