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Historic Murphysburg Preservation, Joplin, Missouri

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Our Guidestar Rating: Silver Transparency 2022, by Candid
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house front path leading to front door

Schifferdecker

The Joseph S. Walker House

June 16, 2023 //  by Historic Murphysburg Preservation

Joseph Scott Walker, Sr., along with his wife Mary Ellen, were original owners of this house. They moved out in 1903. Joseph was considered a “capitalist” and an ore buyer for the Edgar Zinc Company of St. Louis. He was superintendent of the Sunday school at the First Methodist Church of Joplin and for six years was president of the Jasper County Sunday School Association.

Next came Charles W. McAbee, and wife Louella. He was vice-president of Independent Powder Co. of Missouri and later president of Independent Candy & Manufacturing Co. at 4th and Missouri Avenue.

George Washington Moore resided at the house from 1931 to 1937.  However, in 1938, he and wife Ida moved across the street to the “old Schifferdecker home” at 422 S. Sergeant.  It is noteworthy because he “swapped houses” with the Hurwitz-Luecke Family that had lived at the mansion since 1920.  According to the Webb City Sentinel, George was elected the mayor of Webb City in 1904 and was credited with lifting Webb City out of the mud and otherwise modernizing what was then a rough mining community.  George was also an ore buyer and associated with numerous mining and smelting industries.  The Moores lived at the Schifferdecker house until 1947 when it was sold to the Hurlburt-Glover Mortuary—a saga onto itself—eventually settled by the Missouri Supreme Court!

  • Moore House in Webb City 2023
  • Mrs. George (Ida) Moore
  • George’s Death Nnotice
  • George Moore (mid-life)

Postscript: George’s “palatial home” at 903 S. Madison Avenue in Webb City, built in 1908, is slated to be demolished in the summer of 2023 to make way for new commercial development.  Thankfully, the two historic houses in Joplin that are associated with George and Ida listed above have been preserved.  After extensive renovations to the Schifferdecker Mansion by Joplin Historic Neighborhoods, George W. Moore remains engraved on the front step.

Bertha Hurwitz Luecke moved into the house in 1938 and remained until her death in 1952.  Bertha’s husband, Julius died in 1933; he was a jeweler.  Her brother, Dr. Leon Hurwitz also lived at the Schifferdecker House with the Luecke Family.  Dr. Hurwitz died in 1936, ten years after being convicted of selling morphine illegally, serving three years in Leavenworth prison, and understandably losing his medical license!  At one point, he was also appointed as the City Physician.  All of this could explain why Bertha was ready to “downsize” by moving to 411 S. Sergeant. 

Bertha’s son, Carl Luecke continued living here until his death in 1969.  He was an engineer for the Empire District Electric Company for 41 years.  Carl’s wife, Ruth Fleischaker Luecke held a master’s degree in special education and was the first teacher of the sight-saving classes in the Joplin school system.  Carl and Ruth continued living here until their deaths in 1969 and 1973 respectively.
In the spirit of keeping the house in the family, Ruth’s nephew, William “Bill” Fleischaker moved into the house in 1975.  The extended Fleischaker Family factors prominently in Joplin’s early history and that of the United Hebrew Congregation of Joplin.  Several family members continue to serve the community today.  

ARCHITECTURE

The two-and-one-half-story Queen Anne house has a limestone foundation, a hip roof with lower cross-gables and a side-wrap porch with a gabled pediment.  It has brick piers, round wood columns and dentil molding.  A transom can be seen over the front door. 

Historic Murphysburg Preservation

Category: History, HOME TOP, HomesTag: architecture, history, Route 66, Schifferdecker

Mr. Charles Schifferdecker

June 3, 2022 //  by admin

Born August 28, 1851 | Died October 30, 1915
Businessman | Philanthropist | Capitalist

Charles Schifferdecker
Charles Schifferdecker

A lot can be said about Mr. Schifferdecker, one of Joplin’s most prominent citizens of his time. Originally from Baden, Germany, Mr. Schifferdecker worked with Mr. Edward Zelleken at Zelleken’s brewery and later the two opened a bottling business, then established a wholesale beer and ice business in Joplin.  Mr. Schifferdecker quickly moved on to the more lucrative banking and mining ventures.

Mr. Schifferdecker was not technically a “veteran,” but he enabled Joplin men to serve our country during the Spanish-American War in 1898.  He died during the middle of World War I.

But first a little background and facts about this brief war between the United States and Spain.

  • The United States involvement lasted only four months
  • One of the many reasons for the war was the sinking of the U.S. battleship Maine in Havana Harbor in Cuba on February 15, 1898
  • The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898
  • The Spanish government gave Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam to the U.S. and U.S. gave Spain $20 million dollars.
  • Theodore Roosevelt fought in the war before he was President
  • William McKinley was President
Schifferdecker House
Mr. Schifferdecker’s home at 422 South Sergeant Avenue and Mr. Zelleken’s home next door at 406 S. Sergeant are currently undergoing extensive restorations by Joplin Historical Neighborhoods, Inc.

According to Joel Livingston’s account of Mr. Schifferdecker:

His liberal was cheerfully extended to the Joplin Rifles, the first military company organized in Joplin, in 1881, and its ample equipment was largely due to him.

He was equally helpful in affording influence and means toward the organization of Company G, of the Second Regiment, National Guard of Missouri, for service in the Spanish American War, and his patriotic enthusiasm moved him to many acts of liberality while that command was in the field.

In the Joplin Keepsake Album, the authors chronicled the following about Company G:

Joplin men entered the war as “volunteers” because state guards could not serve as general defense.  However, the men of Company G were disappointed when they were never sent to the war zone.  Instead they were moved from camp to camp in the United States.  

…however, the boys of Company G fared well, distinguishing themselves as the regiment’s color guard and by their skill in the dress parade, which caused other regiments to break ranks and look on.

While Mr. Schifferdecker was no doubt admired for his generosity during the Spanish-American War, the German community in Joplin were not admired during World War I.  As explained in Joel Livingston’s account in the history of Jasper County, Missouri:

  • In 1876, when the Germania Social and Literary Society of Joplin formed, it had over fifty charter members.  Thus, it was a small, but established German community. 
  • At the height of World War I, there came a hysteria to the Joplin community [and the country] about people of German origin, and the town felt threatened by the
  • German community though unfounded fear.  One man, Gustav A. Brautigam that owned a local delicatessen literally had to leave town for fear of his life.

The following significant houses were built in the Murphysburg Historic District in 1898 and 1899 – boom due to sale of war supplies:

  •  William H. Miller House | 111 South Sergeant
  • Adam Scott House | 202 South Sergeant
  • William Picher House | 421 South Sergeant
  • George Lavery House | 608 South Sergeant
  • A. B. McConnell/Sol Newman House | 115 S. Moffet
  • John Wise House | 504 S. Byers
  • Alfred H. Rogers House | 623 West Fourth
  • A. L. James House | 619 West Second

Sources:

  • Wikipedia 
  • Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia, MCMLXXXVI  
  • Joel T. Livingston. History of Jasper County, Missouri and Its People, Volumes 1 & 2.   Chicago, Illinois:  Lewis Publishing Company, 1912.   
  • Brad Belk, Andy Ostmeyer, Katy Schrader, and Leslie Simpson.  Joplin Keepsake Album.  St. Louis, Missouri: G. Bradley Publishing, Inc., 2000. Pages 32-33.   
  • Joel T. Livingston. History of Jasper County, Missouri
  • Historic Joplin

Category: History, VeteransTag: Schifferdecker

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