The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-09-01
FROM SOUTHWEST Missouri
Bolivar, Polk CouNrY. Missouri !
1909

August, 10, 1000.
Ed. SrIRfr: I take pleasure in giving
to your readers a brief description OF
Polk County, Missouri.
The county embraces an area of a..
600 acres, nearly equally divided between
pi airie and timber lands The timber
lanis are principally oak, black jack,
hickory, and in the bottoms fine Hack
walnut. The coil on The prairies are a
rich black and reddish loan and very
productive The timber lands fq lally
so. There are some very rough lands
in the county. The countv is well wa
tered by the Pomme-de Terre and Sac
Rivers and tributaries and never failing
springs of pure soft water.
We have in. Bolivar three public
Fspri1es decided to the town, which with
proper reservoir will supply 100. 900 peo
pie with water
Plenty Of water Is found by digging In
25 to 80 feet. The prime pal productions
are CORE. wheat, hay and potatoes. Sor-
ehum rye and tobacco are grown TO
some extent.
We will have fine corn crop this
year. Vegetables of all kinds do we'll
Fruit grows to perfection and is an i'm
portsnt industry. One firm in this place
shipped last season to Texas and South
ern Kansas over 10000 barrels of sp-
Piles. All the tame grasses grow luxuri-
antlv. Blue grass is indigenous and
grows every place it has chance The
Warren, Ohio, Advertiser of August /,
says:
'Prlk County, Missouri, the future
blue grass region of the West is attract.
ing the attention of stockmen through
out the country There is no doubt about
the adaptability Of the soil and climate
for winter pastures. Bolivar, Polk Coun-
ty, will be one place reached by G F.
Clapp d Co.'S Land Explorers Excursion
this fall"
Stock raising and feeding are carried
on to great extent, "a little feed is re-
quired in the winter. Polk County ship
ped last season to St. Louis and Chicago
more live stock than any other point in
the southwest.
The climate OF Southwest Missouri Is
about the same as Richmond, Virginia
Rain falls regularly. Lands are cheap
and rapidly advancing. The price of raw
lands are from S5 to $40, improved
from els to $40 per acre as to location
and improvements. There are some very
cheap rough lands in the county tha,
would make fine hog rancn,s, we'll wa.
tered and plenty of mast tacorn). Hog
cholera is unknown.
We have in Polk County 80 public
1 school districts: q permanent county
school fund of $9l, ,750 loaned TO citiz ms
of the county on real estate, of which
only the interest is used. The State has
a large fund. Polk County's share of the
State fund last year was S4,573. which
/ with the county fund, is divided pro rats
among the districts; balance raised by
taxes. State and county taxes are low.
The Southwest Baptist College is loca
ted at Bolivar; attendance last year 240
The Methodis,s have Conference Col
lege at Morrisville, Bolivar, Hsmansville
and Pleasant Hope; each have graded
and high schools The Methodists, Bap.
tists, Prcsbyte'i ms and Disciples have
each neat churches in Bolivar. Through
out the county scarcely neigAborhood
exss without neat church. The peo.
pie as rule are church goers, and as
high state OF morality exists in Polk
County as in any section of our country
We have three 8st.class hotels 10 Boi
ivar. We have four weekly papers in
the county. Bolivia, the county seat, has
a population of 2 900. situated on the
Bolivar branch OF the St. Louis and San
f anclsco Railroad. 24l miles southwest
from St. L,uis. Hamansville, Is miles
northwest from Bolivar, has popula-
ton OF 500 We have two other rail
roads in Polk County under rapid con-
struction-the Kansas City Southern (s
continuation Of and owned by the st, L.
& S. F R e. Company building from
Kansas City to Bolivar, and the Kansas
City. Springfield and Memphis Shor,
Line, which is now working in the west.
ern part EFF the county. We have two
strong banks in the county-Polk Coun-
tr Bank Of Bolivar and the Farmers
Bank OF Hamausvlle.
There we're over SlC0,000 worth oil
buildings erected in Bolivar last year
and quite a boom this year. Building
material is plenty and cheap We have
two lumber yards, bat need a small plan
ing mill and wagon factory. We have
the finest building stnne in the West.
We copy the following from the Polk
County header:
"Polk County offers fairer field to
men of capital, energy and experience
than any other point in The great south
west. Bolivar, with one railroad in op,
Grafton and two Others iD the county in
rapid construction. will open up good
and profitable markets for her products
in Wts.ern Arkansas, Indian Territory,
Ttx,s, Southern Kansas. Colorado and
New Mexico, all of which will soon he
directly connected with US by an air line
OF railroads
Bolivar needs email. foundry, machine
shop. fax mill, stave and spoke factory,
Icreamery and cheese factory, We have
fine blue grass pastures and abundance
of pure spring water a stone pump and
tile factory-our beds Of 6ne potter's
clay are ntxhaustible.. We have strong
indications of coal in the Eastern part OF
the countv:"
The New York World SAYS:
"South west Missouri presents fairer
field for the emigrant Than most any Sec
liion OF our DOMAIN. Good sucietv,
schools, churches, spring. water. and .
mild. salubrious climate, cheap lands,
the capacity for varied productions, are
not the least of the many Inducements
that invite the restless enterprise of the
eastern and middle States TO seek homes
in South western Missouri"
| Any other information will he cbeer-
fully given by addressing DR. James &
McCsbe, Secretary Of the 2 Tx County
Immigration Bureau, Bolivar, Polk Coun-
ty, Missouri. L.
Gentle woman Is go often the victim
OF sick headache that she halls as the
dawn of new era, the Introduction Of 8