Thomas Venable Reid was born April 13, 1862 in Rothville where his parents settled after migrating from Virginia in a covered wagon, in 1860. Tom was a farmer and a carpenter in his early years. After his marriage to Della Vaden Simpson they settled in Marceline where he helped on the construction of the first … > More >
The early days of the “Magic City” (as our town was called) were marked by excessive unlawfulness. Fights, murders and thievery being in the headlines as did incendiary fires which did a lot to make our early history black. If a Saturday night passed without two or three fist fights on main street ending up … > More >
Twilight Chapter #66, Order of Eastern Star, was organized in 1897. Marceline was about twelve years old, primitive to say the least. Board walks, heavy lumber was laid for street crossings. There were just dirt streets and much mud when winter came. It was not uncommon for the grocery wagon to bog down and the … > More >
In May 1944, after several weeks of planning, a group of ladies whose sons or daughters were serving in the Armed Forces, and desiring to do something for the servicemen passing through Marceline on regular or troop trains banded together under the name of Marceline Community Canteen under the leadership of Mrs. Martha Erdman. Any … > More >
On a very muddy day in early March, 1910, a small group of women met at the home of Mrs. Dave Haley, at the invitation of her daughter Maude and Alice Haley, an in-law niece. The purpose was to organize a club to relieve the monotony and dreary weeks of a long cold winter and … > More >
Prior to 1887, the children of the pioneering families in Marceline, who desired to attend school, were obliged to attend the rural institution known as Hayden’s School which was across the street from where the residence of Don Taylor now stands, at the northern city limits, west of state highway No. 5. This being before … > More >
Note: The following article containing a history of the first 50 years of Marceline was reproduced from the 1938 Golden Jubilee edition of the Marceline News. Floyd C. Shoemaker, secretary of the State Historical Society of Missouri, has written the following interesting and complete history of Marceline. Mr. Shoemaker is a Linn County product, having … > More >
