Edina, Missouri

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Edina is a city in Knox County, Missouri, between the North and South Forks of the South Fabius River. The population was 1,233 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Knox County^GR6.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Early History

Edina, the county seat of Knox County, is located in the northeast quadrant of Missouri. It was 1839 when William Jackson Smallwood first drew up the plans for the town of Edina. He chose an area located on high ground, with a good source of water, and a clear view of the gently rolling, hardwood-covered hills. Canton, MO attorney Stephen W. B. Carnegy made the survey and named the town Edina. Carnegy had previously surveyed a town site in Scotland County, which he named Edinburgh in honor of his home in Scotland, so the poetic version of Edinburgh, "Edina", was used for the new town site. Scottish poet Robert Burns used the name Edina in his poem, "Address to Edinburgh."

Edina was officially incorporated under Missouri law in 1851; numerous additions were made to the original town site, and the Village grew to eight hundred inhabitants by 1860. The first census of Edina and the county was done in 1850, as this was the first enumeration taken after organization of the county in 1845. The 1850 and 1860 censuses indicate some slaves were held by townspeople, but the total number was small. For example, the 1860 census gives the population of Knox County as 8,436 whites, 284 slaves and 7 free blacks (figures for the number of blacks in Edina only are not available.) Free blacks were required to obtain a license from the county court to live in Knox County, and a five hundred dollar bond had to be posted to assure the "good behavior" of the applicant. Two cases were brought before the circuit court in which slaves sued their masters for manumission, or freedom. Both cases were dismissed by the court and the slaves remained the property of their owners. Frequent attempts were made by abolitionists to free slaves, but few were successful. No slaves appear on the census rolls after 1860, as the thirteenth amendment to the United States Constitution outlawed slavery after 1865.

[edit] Civil War

The outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 found not only Edina and Knox County in turmoil, but the entire state of Missouri as well. Missouri, as a slaveholding state, had many southern sympathizers in her borders, but the unionist faction prevailed in keeping this border state in the Federal Union throughout the war. No battles were fought in Edina, but military activity that centered around recruiting troops for both the Federal and Confederate armies split the town along unionist and rebel lines. Several militia units were formed to serve both sides during the war. In July 1861 a Confederate militia unit from Lewis County entered Edina, forcing the retreat of the Federal Union Home Guard to Macon City (now Macon). The rebel forces occupied Edina for several days, camping out in the Milltown section of town. The rebel occupation was peaceful, with only a few minor disturbances involving unionists and secessionists, and the county government continued to run smoothly with no interference from the Confederates. A few incidents were reported of confiscation of food and other provisions, but no reports of serious looting or pillaging were made.

Home Guard units, which were the Federal militia in northeast Missouri, served throughout 1861 as two regiments.

[edit] The Late 1800's

At the close of the Civil War, soldiers and militiamen returned home in hopes of resuming normal, peaceful lives. Some dissension between unionists and rebels lingered, and occasionally confrontations resulted in gunshots and bloodshed. Knox County's post-war experience with bitterness and disharmony was not unique but the county reflected the nationwide struggle for peace and harmony as the country attempted to heal itself after the bloodiest war in its history.

As Edina became the center of business and shipping for the county, many businesses were established throughout the 1870s. The Knox County Savings Bank of Edina opened for business in January 1873 and the Bank of Edina was established in August 1876. In an 1881 issue of the Edina Sentinel the opening of the "World's Fair of Edina" was mentioned. The fairgrounds, located one-half mile east of town, boasted of a half-mile race track with fifty stalls, a good well, a large pond, a floral hail, a music stand, and a grand amphitheater. More than four thousand people attended the opening of the fair.

The arrival of Louis Weishar in 1872 would later mean a dramatic change in the appearance of Edina. Weishar was a master builder and architect of considerable talent. Young Michael Stablein apprenticed with Weishar and in 1892 they formed a contracting business, a relationship that was cemented by Stablein's marriage to Weisher's daughter Ella. Weishar was instrumental in the building of St. Joseph's Church in 1874 and the firm of Weisher and Stablein designed and built eight of the eleven new buildings on the west side after the fire of 1891. Stablein designed and built the public school in 1907 as well as St. Joseph's School the same year. Stablein joined with F. J. and F. A. Wilson in 1890 to organize the first electric power plant in Edina, located at Weishar's mill. The Leslie Karhoff home at 606 North Fourth Street is located on the site of Weishar's mill, and part of the home actually housed the mill itself.

[edit] The 20th Century

The turn of the century brought modern changes to Edina as well as the nation. The increasing population of automobiles resulted in the paving of the streets in 1915. Fifty carloads of brick was used, some of which can still be seen between curbs and the asphalt surface. Silent movies were shown at the Mainstreet Theater, which had been established in 1908. William Collins bought the theater in 1930 and began to equip it for the "talkies". In June 1932 the Lindina Theater opened in the building now occupied by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. This theater lasted until 1965.

In 1915, the new water works system, including tower, tank, distributing system and everything except the pump, was accepted by the city council at a meeting in December. A sanitary drinking fountain was placed in the center of the square in 1916. In 1923, Edinans voted nearly three to one for a sewer system and waterworks improvements, including the city reservoir to be built north of town. The city water tower was painted in 1949 with aluminum paint and the city's name was painted on it. The new city lake at the Edina Country Club was in use by 1956.

The United States entered the European war 6 April 1917 and many young men from Edina and Knox County entered the military. The thoughts of Sentinel editor F. E. Schofield, who wrote home from France in 1918, are typical of all Americans who served during the war. Schofield wrote: " ... and I hope that the United States, with her ideals of love, freedom and her duty of setting a good example, will make no mistake in the final settlement of this contest." Edinans contributed to the war effort through Liberty Bond drives, such as the one held 24 October 1917. A flagpole was erected at the southwest corner of the park to remind the people of Knox County of the many young men who fought and died in the war to end all wars.

The end of World War I in 1918 signaled a new age and the next decade came to be known as the "Roaring Twenties." Business boomed in Edina and throughout the country, only to fall to disastrous depths after the stock market crash of 1929. Three of the four banks in Edina closed in 1930 and Edinans steeled themselves for the decade-long Great Depression. Drought added to the town's woes and in 1938 the reservoir was at a dangerously low stage. The Federal government building projects - the courthouse in 1935 and the school gymnasium in 1939 - helped revive the local economy. Several churches were built, the Lindina Theater opened with a showing of "The Lost Squadron" in 1932, and the Main-street Theater was converted to the "talkies."

The centennial anniversary of Edina passed unobserved in 1939 as citizen interest in celebrating the town's first one hundred years was non-existent. Perhaps the effects of the depression and the drought, combined with the rumblings of another war on the European continent, subdued the citizenry into a mood not conducive to celebration.

On 7 December 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the nation became involved in another world war. Edinans once again displayed their patriotism and many fine young men marched off to war. Sentinel lists of draftees and inductees, along with news of boys overseas in articles titled "Knox County Service Men: News of Our Boys," appeared in the weekly newspaper. Advertisements in the paper often mentioned merchants' commitment to "VICTORY". Beatty's Drug Store sold V-Mail stationery and townsfolk shopped with ration coupon books in hand. Several businesses closed due to their inability to stock rationed goods, such as gasoline and food for restaurants. The Dalton Implement building expansion in 1944 was completed with government permission to obtain construction materials. The war ended in 1945 and a World War II memorial plaque was placed on the first floor of the courthouse.

[edit] Post-war period

The post-war period brought many changes to Edina. The Gibson Hospital opened in 1945 and Klocke's Flowers and greenhouse was completed on Highway 6 east of town. Forty-five blocks of streets were asphalted in 1949 and new street lights were installed along the "white way." Knox Countians served during the Korean Conflict and the Army came to town under "Task Force Turkey." Parking meters were installed around the square in 1952 and were the object of controversy until their removal in 1973. In 1954 the M. C. Literary Club equipped a picnic park south of the water plant with fireplaces, tables and benches.

Teen-agers crowded into McKay's and Gilbert's South Side for lunch and after-school treats. Throughout the 1960s Edina continued *to change to keep pace with the times. Dial telephone service was inaugurated in 1960 and the Post Office moved into the Lycan Building until its new building was erected in 1962 on the corner of South Second and East Morgan Streets. New streetlights were installed in 1962 and City Hall offices were moved from the basement of the courthouse to their present location on Monticello Street. The consolidated county high school opened in 1963 but the referendum to build a swimming pool at the new structure was defeated. As one voter said, "Knox Countians are not amphibious."

[edit] Last decades

The decade of the 70s brought the close of the Vietnam War, to which Knox County men and women had answered the call. During the 70s the Senior Housing units were dedicated, the library moved to its present location on South Main Street, Miller Park was completed and Edina elected its first woman mayor, Mrs. Pauline Campbell. The worst spring snow storm in history occurred 12 April 1973 and the county spent days digging out.

During the 1980s Edina survived economic highs and lows, drought and water supply crisis, a slight decline in population numbers, and the demise of the railroad. On the positive side, new community activities, such as the Knox County Community Theater, the Rotary Club, Jaycees, and the Edina Swim Club were formed. The annual Corn Fest was revived, a new ball park was built and the newly organized Gun and Bow Club set up a target range. New businesses came to town, including Casey's Convenience Store, Dollar General and True Value. The 80s brought an end to an era when the Ben Franklin Store closed it doors in 1988 after seventy-two years of continuous business in one location. The Edina grade school closed in 1989 when the new county elementary school, east of town, replaced the small community schools.

The 1990's was a decade of business decline and then revival in the town, as many of the family-owned and operated small town businesses closed their doors. For the first time in town history, there were a significant number of vacant buildings in the downtown area. In the later third of the decade, however, these buildings went back into service in new roles, with the opening of two antique stores, the conversion of a building into the American Legion Hall, as well as other changes. The United State Bank opened an office in the town. The Hawkins Insurance Group reaffirmed the company's commitment to Edina by renovating a large building in the town into a modern headquarters for the regional Agency, becoming one of the county's five largest private employers.

[edit] Geography

Edina is located at 40°10′8″N, 92°10′24″W (40.168881, -92.173275)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 1,233 people, 571 households, and 339 families residing in the city. The population density was 363.4/km² (940.7/mi²). There were 678 housing units at an average density of 199.8/km² (517.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.16% White, 0.08% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 2.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.

There were 571 households out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 26.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 86.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,900, and the median income for a family was $30,938. Males had a median income of $21,492 versus $16,458 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,863. About 15.1% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.7% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those age 65 or over.