The daily Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1916-1917, 1916-08-16

| Down on Locust street near the
northeast corner on Fifth stands a
shabby, tumbledOwn brick house built
in the plain. straight style so COM
mon to the homes of early settlers in
this part of the country. 1t was doubt
less a pretentiOus place then, in 1921
when Charles Hardin moved to Co
lumbia and built it for his family. He
was very proud to be the owner of
such a substantial home in those days
when it was the only brick building in
Missouri west of st. Charles.
From the outside the house looks
great deal like small church, with
its plain arched door. Upon crossing
the stone step and entering you come
| into a small hall from which a STAIR
way, now too unsteady to use, leads
to the second story. On each side
of the hall is good sized square room
with large fireplace which has been
walled up. In the east room the fire
place is flanked by two closets or
safes reaching two thirds of the way
to the ceiling The woodwork in
these rooms is very well preserved
considering its age.
The second story consists of two
rooms under the sloping roof. In'the
back, part of the house has been torn
away from what was evidently the
kitchen. At one end flight of broken
stone steps shows where the outside
entrance to the cellar was Early pic
lures of the place showing neat
white fence and well-kept shade trees
give some idea of what an attractive
home it was in the days when CO.
lumbia was in its infancy.
Charles Hardin. the first owner of
this building, came originally from
LoudOn County, Va, but came to Mis-
souri, from Kentucky With him came
his wife. Hannah Jewell, sister of
William Jewell. and a family of chill !
dren. Among these was Charles Hen I,
ry Hardin. later governor of Missouri, |
founder and president of Hardin Col
lese, a trustee of William Jewell Col
lege and a founder of the Beta The !
ia Pi fraternity at Miami College, Ok
ford. Ohio.
The history of Northeast Missouri
speaks of Charles Hardin, the father.
as the first postmaster in Columbia
and the story of his life written by
his wife, Mary Barr Jenkins. also of
Columbia, tells how he had become at
tached to the Clay and Adams party
through his admiration for Henry
Clay, and when the administration of
Jackson began. his office was given
to friend as political spoils. Mr..
Hardin became a tanner and worked
at that trade until his death about
eight years later.
He was ambitious for his children
and sent them TO the best schools
here After his death Charles, or Hen ,
ry Hardin, as the son was called. ,
went on to school in Indiana and ,
Ohio and was granted a license to
practice law in this state. This was s
he beginning of his political career.
At the time of his governOrship he
vas living on a farm near Mexico,
No. AS governor he had an enviable
reputation as an honest, independent
eader.
The last time that the old house on ]
locust street was occupied by a fam {
ly was four years ago when Frank |
Perkins and family lived there. A man s
lamed Harry Goodman lived in the t
,ast room last winter, but since then g
he ceiling has fallen and the house is
low unfit for occupancy The Perk- a
ms family now live in a frame house I
which has been built up against the v
ast end of the old place. II
1t is interesting to know that prac- a
ically all the surveys of the town of t
Columbia start at the Hannah Hardin Y
lOuse. 1t stands in what was the best
'art of town in the early days. At
hat time Fourth street and Broad
way were the principal streets, and t
he market square was northwest of II
he NJ. X. & T. station.
The present owner of the Hardin S