Mexico weekly ledger., 1914-07-16
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
or MEXICO FROM IT'S
FOUNDATION TO 1861
Mail nhraIlnIhl

FOUNDATION TO 1861
Mabel ThreEkeldl
IN the development Of any town,
city or nation, there are certain in
huences which must necessarily en-
ter into tho history Of that eommu-
nifty. great or small, either to I'M
prove or to hinder IT'S progress. and
tine social conditions are undoubtedly
among the greatest Of those influence
es. Social conditions have been the
foundation Of government ever since
those governments have been In ex-
%istence. Did not tho social condi-
tions constitute some of the greatest
problems Rome eyer had 70 meet,
md did not these same conditions
prove 10 be one OF the greatest UNI
dormining forces during the decline
Of the Republic? Did not the social
conditions Of France ultimately re-
suit in the great French Revolution
which has influenced the whole
world7 Such examples in the his
tory Of nations only serve 70 prove
the paramount Importance Of the 30
cial condition in the development Of
any people, and therefore what may
be true of nations may also be ap-
piled to those parts which constitute
a nation.
Our little city of Mexico, then is one
of the parts" of a great nation and
must have been Influenced by certain
social conditions from her very be-
ginning. If those moulding influences
have been good and wholesome, our
city has prospered; IL they have been
other than desirable. our city has
failed to make advances.
So then, let us see just what has
been her social progress from the
date Of founding. 1885. to the begin.
ming Of the great Civil War in 1861
The "Wilds of Missouri we're nc
farther removed than the present To-
cation Of Mexico, in the early "thir.
ties" and life in general was that Of
the frontiersman and the hunters
the vanguard of Western civilization
This immediate section OF the coun,
try vas wooded for the most part
and only a few settlers had built loe
cabins on their small ciearings
yet from the very first there was
some social intercourse among the
settlers. There was that feeling o.
fraternity, which has characterized
Western people, and when a stranger
announced his intention Of becom-
ing a resident Of the neighborhood
those already In the community wer,
quick to lend a helping hand. They
went In a body to the house raising
and while the women cooked the ven.
ison and wild turkey for the dinner
me men cut and fashioned the log.
for tho new cabin. Nothing coult
nave given the stranger more assur.
ance OF a general welcome 10 his
new home and ne~ighborhood than
This custom Of pioneer life. the
'house-ralsing" This might well be
classed as the first form Of social
gathering In this early community
and certainly It was no bad begin.
ming.
Going to mill WAS also another
way In which social intercourse wa,
stimulated, and a way in which the
men Of a neighborhood gained gener.
al knowledge of what was takine
place. The owner Of the mill was
usually a well informed parsonage
and a source Of much information II
those who took their corn there 10 he
ground into meal.
These were some of the existin,
conditions which were a factor in the
community from which the village
Of Mexico was formed.
In the year 1885. Mexico began ber
career as an organized village and
the population and improvements IN
creasing slowly. yet in 1888 there
were some twelve or more houses
besides a hotel. q tavern. a dry-goods
store, a saloon and a court bonse
rms court house, the pride OF every
~citizen was used for educational and
reiigious purposes as well as govern
mental A school was conducted here
Tor a long time, but far more import.
ant were the preaching seryicesp
held occasionally. sometimes by reg-
uiar aud sometimes BY travelling
preachers, when every inhabitant
donned their best costume and wen,
forth TO receive their religious in
struettou as Well az to visit their
friends and neighbors At this early
aafe there we're practically no social
organizations and the church furnish.
ca an acceptable substitute for those
means Of intercourse which people
nave always found necessary. Not
only was the meeting place" a So
elsi outlet for the village but the
surrounding country also felt the need
q 2 church, which resulted in the
erection Of Old Hopewell church
a ,asa four miles west of town. in
1893. All the inhabitants. Of the
county assisted In the building
p the Meeting House" The lumber
TOR the seats was hauled from Boone
County in heavy wagons drawn bv
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