2026-10-02T00:48:05+00:00 Zend_Feed_Writer https://elsberryhistorical.org/ Elsberry Historical https://elsberryhistorical.org 2025-03-18T14:16:18+00:00 2025-03-19T00:56:04+00:00 https://elsberryhistorical.org/items/show/171 Mallory Steen<br /> Senior - Elsberry High School Excerpts of her interview include horrifying images, including, “Some were dead, others dying, all had frightening wounds, and the sight was sickening indeed. Those among the soldiers who showed signs of vitality, were hastily moved forward, their bandages jerked from the gaping wounds, the antiseptics applied.” At this time, the United States was not involved in the war, wanting to remain neutral, and LaBanca’s experience is a great example of the isolationist sentiment throughout the U.S. Mrs. LaBanca, along with most Americans at the time, had differing views on which countries in Europe to support during World War I, and their support was often based on their backgrounds, but most agreed that the United States joining the war would not benefit the country. World War I officially began on June 28, 1914, when a group of men from the movement of Young Bosnia assassinated Franz Ferdinand (the Archduke of Austria-Hungary), in Sarajevo, hoping to free Bosnia of Austro-Hungarian rule. The men were armed by a Serbian extremist group known as the Black Hand, which led Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia, with other European countries taking sides. The United States was hesitant to take a stance, and wanted to remain neutral for as long as possible. Even though the country was not sending troops in the first couple of years of the war, the U.S. aided the Allies (which consisted of the United Kingdom, France, and Russia), and most Americans sided with them as well, although some sided with the Central Powers (consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). But if you want one central opinion of what Americans thought of World War I, it can be difficult to view it as monolithic. JSTOR Daily explains in its article What Americans Thought of WWI, “American public opinion” was no more universal in 1917 than it is today.” Still, the American president during the conflict, Woodrow Wilson, remained firm on the country’s position of neutrality, stating in a speech given on August 19, 1914, “Speak a solemn word of warning to you against that deepest, most subtle, most essential breach of neutrality which may spring out of partisanship, out of passionately taking sides. The United States must be neutral in fact as well as in name during these days that are to try men's souls.” As stated above, most Americans sided with the allies, but Irish-Americans, and most notably German-Americans, were placed in a more difficult position. Regarding the region of Missouri, authors William E. Parrish, Charles T. Jones Jr., and Lawrence O. Christensen write in their book Missouri: The Heart of the Nation, that, “With over 350,000 residents of German birth or parentage and more than 100,000 of Irish background, Missouri had many citizens who sympathized with the German cause. An even larger number of Missourians had cultural ties with the Allies, however, and blamed Germany for the war. Despite these feelings, few Missourians wanted the United States to enter the conflict in 1914,” (290). Many German-Americans faced discrimination during the war, and the community did not hold a universal opinion. Some supported their home country, and believed that the reports of German brutality were propped up by the British, and some supported the United States and its neutrality during the conflict. On February 4, 1916, the Louisiana Press-Journal, based in Missouri, published an article with the following headline, “Would Be Neutral Citizen of U.S.: Applicant for Citizenship Says He Came Here For Peace–Explains Answer Satisfactorily.” The article gives the account of a German immigrant named A. H. Beitmann, who was applying for American citizenship and prompted by the judge if he would support the U.S. if it went to war. Beitmann replied with, “If there should be a war between the United States and Germany, I’d be neutral.” The article explains, “He said that what he meant to say was that he naturally would not want to fight against his relatives in Germany, but that if the United States were invaded he would aid in its defense. He said that he came to this country to escape the militarism of Germany because he believed this to be a peaceful nation.” This quote exemplifies the views held by many German-Americans at the time, wanting to remain neutral, and often wanting to side with the United States, hoping it would show better moral character than that of Germany during World War I. The people carried their views of neutrality into the presidential election of 1916. Woodrow Wilson was the incumbent Democratic candidate, and his opponent was Republican Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes. Wilson’s campaign ran on the slogan of “He Kept Us Out of War” and according to The American Presidency Project, he won the election with 277 electoral votes, with Hughes gaining 254. In Missouri, Wilson won with 50.6% percent of the popular vote, taking all of Missouri’s 18 electoral votes. This was also the second election in which Americans could vote for their senators along with their representatives. Missouri voted in Democratic candidate James A. Reed, who was also opposed to entering in the war. Missouri’s other senator, William J. Stone was famous for his stance on neutrality, even not wanting to aid the Allies. Parrish, Jones, and Christensen note in Missouri: The Heart of the Nation, that also, “In September 1915, United States bankers loaned the Allies $500 million. Missouri’s senior United States senator, William J. Stone, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, questioned the neutrality of making such a loan. He observed that financial investment on one side might lead to America’s having too vital an interest in that side’s success,” (291). This demonstrates that for most Missourians, they wanted to vote for politicians who favored their interests to keep the United States out of the war. By 1917, the country had finally declared war on Germany, joining the Allies, after Germany sank 10 merchant ships that carried American passengers, plus the country sending the infamous “Zimmermann Telegram” where Germany asked Mexico to form an alliance if the U.S. were to enter the war against Germany. At this point, many Americans finally supported the country going to war, although hesitantly, hoping the victory would be swift. Still, Missouri Senator William J. Stone did not agree, and in Missouri: Heart of the Nation, the authors describe that, “Congress approved Wilson’s request for war, but Senator William J. Stone joined five other senators in voting against it; they were joined by fifty members of the House of Representatives, including four of Missouri’s sixteen representatives,” (292). According to Missouri’s Secretary of State’s Military Records, “Nearly 750,000 Missouri men registered for the draft. Over 156,000 served in all branches of the armed forces and more than 10,000 were wounded or killed in action.” The war would eventually end on November 11, 1918, with an armistice signed, and the Treaty of Versaille being signed in 1919, which largely put the blame on Germany and required them to pay most of the war reparations, as well as be disarmed. The Twice-A-Week-Times based out of Louisiana, Missouri published its celebratory headline on November 12, 1918, stating that, “Peace at last. Early this morning the nation began celebrating the greatest day in American history, the end of the world wide war. One that will go down in the annals of the world as the most inhuman and bloodiest.” Many Missourians in the local area had diverse views on if they wanted to support the Allies or the Central Powers, which was often based on their national origin, but most agreed that they did not want to go overseas. Looking at newspapers from the era can give you great insight on the range of perspectives. On December 31, 1914, the Louisiana Press-Journal in Missouri published an anonymous opinion reading, “The United States is trying hard to remain neutral in the scrimmage across the water, but if England keeps on monkeying with American commerce on the high seas, Uncle Sam will get off of the fence and it won’t be on England’s side of the fence either.” Juxtaposing another opinion published in the same newspaper on November 4, 1915, with an anonymous opinion stating, “Everytime a leg is shot off in Europe an American factory furnishes a wooden one to take its place. Who wouldn’t be neutral?” It can be inferred that most Americans knew that if the U.S. took a side, there would be people angry because of the country’s multiple ethnic and cultural backgrounds. When the country finally got involved in Europe, Americans were patriotic, wanting to destroy the Germans, but hoped that the war would not drag on. Even Laura Alice Benoit LaBanca noted in her interview that Europeans wanted the war to end, explaining, “That in Germany, France, and in Switzerland, though the latter, of course, feels only incidental effects, the people are weary of the war, and would hail with joy the commencement of peace, almost at any cost. First the German sentiment was one of enthusiasm in which they confidently expected to conquer all of their enemies, but that now the sentiment seems to be that of holding their own territory and obtaining an equal chance obtaining at the close of the war.” World War I is now often viewed as a short period in U.S. history, especially compared to other wars, but the era can give us a better understanding of the multiple ethnic, religious, and cultural groups and their views, particularly in relation to immigration, and how the idea of one single “American” nationality was formed. The major opinion of Americans at this time can be summed up perfectly by an anonymous person who stated on July 22, 1915 in The Bowling Green Times (based out of Missouri) that, “We got sparrow and “Fawncy” pronunciation from England; we got the carp, Hessian Fly and limburger cheese from Germany; we heired from France the slit skirt, the tight and near no-skirt-at-all; from Russia we get anarchy and unpronounceable names that produce lockjaw; from Vienna we got pulverized pup in pigskin, yclept sausage; from Italy we have the black hand, organ and monkey and from Turkey we have the Harem trousers so full in the seat that they look like sister has moved out of ‘em and the brand of cigarettes that emits odor that is a cross between shoeing a horse and the preresurrected Lazarus. So why shouldn’t we be neutral?” Bibliography Primary: “1916.” The American Presidency Project, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/1916. Accessed 14 March 2025. “August 19, 1914: Message on Neutrality.” Miller Center, https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/august-19-1914-message-neutrality. Accessed 12 March 2025. “Mrs. LaBanca Back From Europe Says People Want Peace: She Tells of Her Trip Through France Trains Bearing Wounded Remind Her of Slaughter House As Blood Drips Down Continually.” St. Charles News-Banner [St. Charles, Missouri], 51 ed., no. 48, 24 June 1915, p. 1, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/953548052/?terms=From%20Europe%20Says%20People%20Want%20Peace. Accessed 21 January 2025. Reedy, William.  “Why I Am For Wilson.” The Louisiana Press-Journal [Louisiana, Missouri], no. 62, 2 November 1916, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/1031067582/. Accessed 7 February 2025. Second Inaugural Address of Woodrow Wilson. New Haven, Yale Law School, 2008, https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/wilson2.asp. Accessed 23 January 2025. “Thursday, December 31, 1914.” The Louisiana Press-Journal [Louisiana, Missouri], 60 ed., no. 25, 31 December 1914, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/1031210819/. Accessed 12 March 2025. “Thursday, November 4, 1915.” The Louisiana Press-Journal [Louisiana, Missouri], 61 ed., no. 17, 4 November 1915, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/1031211826/. Accessed 12 March 2025. “War Ends! Whole Nation Wild With Excitement! Old Louisiana Goes Wildy "Over Top" In Celebrating. Fighting Has Ceased. Awful Rioting in Germany. Kaiser and Kin Flee to Holland. Republic Will Be Formed. America Wins the War.” The Twice-A-Week Times [Louisiana, Missouri], 21 ed., no. 91, 12 November 1918, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/1031495912/?match=1&terms=war. Accessed 12 March 2025. “Why We Are Neutral.” The Bowling Green Times [Bowling Green, Missouri], no. 51, 22 July 1915, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/1030620324/. Accessed 5 February 2025. “World War I Military Service Cards: A Brief History.” Missouri's Digital Heritage, Missouri Secretary of State, https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/soldiers/ww1history#:~:text=World%20War%20I%20Military%20Service%20Cards%3A%20A%20Brief%20History&text=Nearly%20750%2C000%20Missouri%20men%20registered,of%20service%20during%20the%20war. Accessed 12 March 2025. “Would Be Neutral Citizen of U.S.: Applicant for Citizenship Says He Came Here For Peace–Explains Answer Satisfactorily.” The Louisiana Press-Journal [Louisiana, Missouri], no. 30, 3 February 1916, https://basic.newspapers.com/image/1031064721/. Accessed 6 February 2025. Secondary: “Election: 1916.” President Wilson House, 19 November 2020, https://woodrowwilsonhouse.org/election-1916/. Accessed 6 February 2025. Fraunfelter, Paul C. “A Sudden Belligerent.” Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/collections/world-war-i-sheet-music/articles-and-essays/americas-war-as-viewed-by-publishers-and-the-public/a-sudden-belligerent/#note2. Accessed 22 January 2025. Gershon, Livia. “What Americans Thought of WWI.” JSTOR Daily, 4 April 2017, https://daily.jstor.org/what-americans-thought-of-wwi/. Accessed 22 January 2025. Parrish, William E., et al. Missouri: The Heart of the Nation. Third ed., Wheeling, Illinois, Harlan Davidson, Inc., 1980. Wustenbecker, Katja. “German-Americans during World War I.” Immigrant Entrepreneurship, German Historical Institute, 22 August 2018, https://www.immigrantentrepreneurship.org/entries/german-americans-during-world-war-i/. Accessed 12 March 2025. For more (including 3 images), view the original article. 2021-04-16T20:17:10+00:00 2021-04-16T20:17:10+00:00 https://elsberryhistorical.org/items/show/170 Lillian Jones Imagine it’s the Spring of 1808. You and local acquaintances are arriving back from a winter-long expedition in the tributaries of the Missouri River. As you enter St. Louis, you are appalled by the crowd and number of people. Hundreds are arriving and boarding the steamboats, others are filling downtown streets with hopes of buying the latest top-shelf items. This was Manuel Lisa’s point of view after coming back from his expedition with more than one thousand pelts. There had never been a central fur trade depot thus far in St. Louis. Along with the established city of St. Louis, major confluence of rivers, and forts present, this is what ultimately drew Manuel to St. Louis. Manuel Lisa was only 27 when he first moved to St. Louis with his wife, Polly, and their three children. (Historic Missourians, 2/9/21) During this time, St. Louis was like a gold rush of fur. After Lewis and Clark’s expedition, they reported the abundance of furbearers in Missouri. Like everyone else, Manuel wanted to get his hand in the lucrative trade. Manuel frequently described himself as an “ambitious risk-taker.” (Historic Missourians, 2/9/21) Years later, after his move to St. Louis, this statement would prove to be true and boost his career. The beginning of the Fur Trade in the West began with people who were already established in that area, the Indian tribes. According to William Foley, Indian tribes “would bring their furs into the city to sell them.” (Foley 24) The relationship between them and white people was of the utmost importance, because of this they came to a compromise. This agreement consisted of trading for supplies, which the white people would come to the Indians and trade for their fur. Missouri's legislature allowed St. Louis's top fur traders the right to travel into Indian territory and collect their pelts. (Foley 59) According to Miram Chittenden, over 150 posts were created in the territories to serve as both lodging and trade centers for natives, merchants, and trappers. When the men returned they would be packing thousands of dollars worth of fur. (Chittenden 45) St. Louis and its surrounding rivers were the connecting points between the East and West. There were constantly steamboats arriving at ports dropping off eager visitors. Tourists would plan voyages to travel to St. Louis, just to get a feel of what the busy trade city had to offer. According to William Foley, St. Louis’ residents vacated their daily jobs and invested their time into trading. (Foley 24) “By the end of 1849, the city of St. Louis was permanently established as a trade city”(Sunder 56) primarily because of its location at the confluence of Missouri, Illinois, and Mississippi Rivers. The confluence of these rivers provided transportation and supported the livelihoods of many in the region. Using the Illinois River, travelers can come from the North. Using the Missouri River people can travel to St. Louis from the West. Likewise, the Mississippi River allows visitors to come from either the North or South. With the arrival of the steamboat, St, Louis exploded in population and shipping.  One hundred years earlier in 1772, trade exports from St. Louis were skyrocketing. (St. Louis Post Dispatch) Now, near the beginning of 1871, thousands of supply imports and exports still found their way into the city. Furthermore, it was estimated that over one hundred visitors arrived annually to shop and trade. (Sunder 41)  During the increasing popularity of trading, fur trading especially, multiple forts were built around Missouri as trading centers. Some of these forts include Fort Osage, Fort Union, Fort Pierre Chouteau, and Fort Bennett. Each fort was built so that traders wouldn’t have to make the long trip into St. Louis to trade. The forts would be in charge of bargaining prices, and if needed, they would bring items into the city.  In the spring of 1799, Manuel Lisa moved to St. Louis. (Historic Missourians, 2/9/21) Eight years after his arrival, Manuel formed an expedition consisting of 20-30 men. After his return in the spring of 1808, he established the Missouri Fur Company with the help of William Clark. Clark would come to serve as the company’s Indian agent. (Legends of America, 2/10/21) The Company would be strong until the arrival of the War of 1812. After Manuel’s passing in 1820, co-owner Joshua Pilcher became the new president of the company. The company never recovered and eventually dissolved in 1830 because of strained relationships with Indian traders and their land. As a young city, St. Louis prospered. Not just because of its place of establishment, but also because of people’s willingness to travel there. Within the thousands that moved to St. Louis, Manuel Lisa was one of them. He moved to the city to get his hand into the trading business. Even though his company didn’t survive, his achievements helped his successors (American Fur and Rocky Mountain Fur companies) grow. (Historic Missourians, 2/9/21) After everything, Manuel never gave up trying to be involved, he once said, “I go a great distance, while others are deciding whether they will start today or tomorrow.” Bibliography Alexander, Kathy. “Missouri Fur Company.” February 2020, https://www.legendsofamerica.com/missouri-fur-company/. Chittenden, Miram Martin. American Fur Trade of the Far West. vol. 1, 2018. 2 vols. Foley, William E. A History of Missouri. vol. I, Columbia, University of Missouri Press, 1971. Harper, Kimberly. “Manuel Lisa.” https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/historicmissourians/name/l/lisa/. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1 March 2014, https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/state-and-regional/look-back-250-fur-trade-establishes-st-louis-finances-its-growth-in-industry-and-commerce/article_9ab837a8-02dd-5cc2-9c0a-91d34b7df4b5.html. Sunder, John E. Fur Trade on the Upper Missouri. University of Oklahoma Press, 1993. For more, view the original article. 2018-11-05T19:39:38+00:00 2019-01-27T05:34:24+00:00 https://elsberryhistorical.org/items/show/165 Elsberry Applied History No Content Available For more, view the original article. 2018-11-04T19:12:50+00:00 2021-05-19T20:02:30+00:00 https://elsberryhistorical.org/items/show/164 Joseph Hunter Before Missouri had achieved statehood, Beverly Porter was born a slave in Culpepper County, Virginia. Although it is unclear how (or when) Beverly was moved to Lincoln County, MO, it is likely that he was moved here by his enslavers, the Porters, sometime before 1850. (1) Although Beverly’s military record claims John D. Porter as his owner, he was originally enslaved by John’s mother, Polly. (2) By 1860, Dr. Porter enslaved five people. (3) Although the ages do not match Beverly’s, one of the unnamed men in the Federal Slave Schedule was Beverly Porter. (4) On May 22, 1863, The War Department issued General Order 143, which created the United States Colored Troops. African Americans throughout the United States heard the call and made their ways to the nearest recruitment offices. One such office was established in Troy, MO. Before the war was over, more than 350 African Americans from Lincoln and surrounding counties agreed to put their lives and their family’s safety on the line to fight for the Union. Statewide, that number was in the thousands. Among those volunteers was Beverly Porter, a 5’ 7”, hazel-eyed, copper-skinned, 44-year-old slave. (5) Beverly Porter signed up to serve his nation on 11/23/1863. (6) After an initial enlistment in the 1st Missouri Colored Infantry, in January 1864, the regiment was rebranded as the 62nd United States Colored Infantry. Specific records could not be located regarding Beverly’s participation in military engagements, however, several portions of the 62nd fought in one of the last battles of the Civil War, the Battle of Palmito Ranch, TX. Since Beverly eventually mustered out on February 19, 1866, as a Corporal at Ft. McIntosh, TX, it is possible that he took an active role in the last battle of the Civil War. The 62nd USCT may not have altered the shape of the war, but they did have a lasting impact in Missouri. According to General Order No. 31 (July 3rd, 1864), “non-commissioned officers of this command who shall fail to learn to read by or before the 1st day of January 1865 will be reduced to the ranks and their places filled by persons who can read. “ As this order suggests, the members of the 62nd understood the importance of education, but they also knew that a formal education was not likely when they returned to Missouri. As such, they started collecting money to create an institution of higher education for African Americans. The 62nd USCT was able to raise roughly $5,000. Combined with the money donated by the 65th USCT, the seed money climbed to nearly $7,000. (7) The money was used to help provide the seed money for Lincoln Institute, a traditionally all-black institute in Jefferson City, MO. According to the 1900 Census, Beverly Porter was married in 1859-1860. (8) Following the war, he made his way back to his wife, Julia, and settled in Louisiana, MO. Census records suggest that Beverly had taken advantage of the 62nd’s devotion to education. Under the heading “cannot read” and “cannot write” are noticeably absent checkmarks for Beverly. Living in Pike County, which was the 7th largest slave-holding county in Missouri, Beverly ended up as a laborer until he was physically unable to perform the work. (9) By 1900, Beverly’s health was failing. The Census listed Beverly as an “invalid.” A few years later, Beverly was admitted to the United States National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Danville, IL, which listed his condition as “paralyzed.” (10) After a tough life, Beverly Porter succumbed to “old age” on September 6th, 1903. Since his family did not have much money, they opted for a government burial. Instead of locating a local cemetery for veterans, the U.S. government shipped his body to Washington, D.C., where he was buried at a "House for Insane.” (11) Like many former slaves, Beverly Porter’s life before the Civil War was marked by anonymity. Only his age, gender, and race were listed so the Porters could pay appropriate taxes on their property. Beverly placed his life on the line to defend a country that had not defended him. Instead of burying him at a nearby government cemetery, Beverly’s contributions were recognized by moving his body away from his wife, halfway across the country, only to be buried at a “House for Insane.” Although the country made a lot of moves in positive directions during Beverly’s lifetime, his burial symbolized the need for more changes. ____________________________ 1. The 1850 Census has John D. Porter living with his mother in Troy, MO in 1850. 2. The 1850 Slave Schedule did not list John as a slaveholder, but it did show that Polly M. Porter owned 16 slaves in Troy, MO. Two of the slaves closely match the ages of Beverly. John D. Porter’s Slave Claim Certificate acknowledged that he received Beverly in 1855 from his mother’s estate. 3. 1860 Federal Slave Schedule 4. According to the Slave Claim Certificate in Beverly Porter’s military file, John D. Porter received Beverly from the split estate of William and Polly M. Porter (deceased) on February 27, 1855. While researching the records of Ned Porter, I located the slave claim paperwork for Charles Porter, who also received his slaves from William Porter. Included in the paperwork was the original will. “To John D. Porter - Winston and Polly and their two children Lewis and George ang Beverly.” 5. US Provost Marshal Records, Missouri Secretary of State, Roll F1897.8, Frame 171. 6. It is not known if Beverly Porter joined voluntarily or was pushed into service. U.S. Army. General Order 329 was issued a month earlier. In an effort to fill the ranks of the USCT as well as provide manumission in border states, it offered slave owners who signed a loyalty pledge up to $300 as long as they could prove their claim to the slave and promise manumission once his service was complete. The Slave Claim Certificate that was filed suggests Dr. John D. Porter was compensated to some degree, but I was unable to locate an exact amount. 7. https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/13/fighting-for-the-legacy-of-lincoln/ 8. The 1900 Census claims he had been married 41 years. An Ancestry.com search returned a marriage license from Pike County between Beverly Porter and Julia Douglas on Sept 29, 1868. It is possible that they were married prior to this. Many slave marriages were not recognized until after the war. That does not mean, however, that Beverly and Julia would ignore the 10 previous years. 9. This information is collected from a series of Census records. 10. "United States National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, 1866-1938," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZ3M-C56 : 12 March 2018), Beverly P Porter, 1903; citing p. 5284, Danville, Illinois, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1749 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 86; FHL microfilm 1,548,687. 11. "District of Columbia Deaths and Burials, 1840-1964," database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7Y5-WQH : 9 March 2018), Beverly P. Porter, 06 Sep 1903; citing District Of Columbia, reference 150650; FHL microfilm 2,115,157. For more, view the original article. 2018-06-25T07:10:18+00:00 2018-06-25T07:45:17+00:00 https://elsberryhistorical.org/items/show/161 Harmon Kreuger Those who have grown up in and around the town of Elsberry have undoubtedly heard the name of Clarence Cannon. The renowned Representative Cannon, of Missouri’s Ninth Congressional District, was born, raised, and lived, until the day he died, in our very own Elsberry. Despite the familiarity, very few know what he did. Not many realize the exact scope of Cannon’s influence, which was magnificent. Even fewer realize that Cannon was the leader of the Appropriations Committee, the clasp of the proverbial purse that is Congress. Fewer still may realize that Cannon was instrumental in the formation of our modern intelligence community. However, Clarence Cannon most certainly was each of these things, and Cannon used his power, and his position, to create the organizations that would become integral throughout the Cold War and into the modern day. Clarence Cannon was, by all accounts, a quiet man, a self-proclaimed “dirt farmer.”(1) At times he was described as crotchety, cranky, and cantankerous, but none questioned his absolute devotion to his district or his district's devotion to him.(2) Cannon’s quick ascent through the rungs of the Washington ladder saw him heading the Appropriations Committee. This powerful committee grants funds for various government agencies. Under Cannon’s leadership, the committee decided what got consideration and which programs withered away into obscurity with no funding. Cannon was well known for his tight leash on government spending, detesting deficits and abhorring waste.(3) There were stories even of Cannon nearly halting the production of the Atomic Bomb as he felt the development of it was a waste of funds.(4) This speaks both to his power over our nation's affairs and the role he filled. Cannon viewed himself as the defender of the every-man. He felt our tax dollars were a privilege granted to the government, to be used in our benefit, not to be wasted in useless dead-end programs. It was this stalwart defense of fiscal conservatism that lead Cannon to new heights, making him one of the most valuable players in Washington. It was this quiet notoriety and intellectual superiority that lead to him attracting the attention of the suffering intelligence community. The bastions of clandestine operations, who found themselves at full stride during World War II, suddenly found the rug pulled out from under them, and were wishing to place themselves back on their feet. After World War II ended, the intelligence agency that had been developed during the war, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), was in dire straights. President Truman felt that with the War over, there was little need for the OSS. Truman liquidated the agency, but the heads of the OSS had different ideas.(5) They recognized the power vacuum in Europe that had just been opened and felt very strongly that intelligence was needed more than ever as the Soviets became increasingly hostile. However, their concerns fell on deaf ears with Truman, and instead they turned to Elsberry’s very own Clarence Cannon. Cannon listened to their concerns, and they stuck a deal. The OSS would routinely provide Cannon with foreign policy information, some of which was classified, and in turn, Cannon would ensure the agency would have enough funding to become a powerful intelligence organization that we now know as the CIA. Several documents declassified in 2003 show correspondence between the CIA and Cannon requesting funding, often accompanied by still redacted memos of national interest to justify their need for funding. Cannon was so dominating that a CIA document describing a meeting between Cannon and the CIA legislative council member and director Allen Dulles states Cannon absolutely dominated the other man, running a budgetary meeting that had more to do with golf than budget, and discussed almost nothing of money. What Cannon allocated is what Secretary Dulles used.(6) Former Executive Director “Red” White states, “We’d tell him anything he wanted to know.” and goes on to say if they played by Cannon’s rules, “We got just about what we wanted.”(7) Of course, few knew of this side of Cannon, he had a reputation as a man of sterling character, working with all of his power to better his constituency and keep the nation on track. This loyalty was reciprocated by Republicans and Democrats alike, as with each election, even Republicans would run ads asking for all reading to support Cannon in coming elections, even ones where he faced little to no opposition.(8) All citizens of the Ninth knew Cannon, knew of his dedication to them, and reciprocated that dedication, but few knew of his broad power. Cannon was described by many as one of the leading parliamentarians of our nation’s history, writing in-depth analysis of proper procedure and using his deft knowledge of it to manipulate the process of debate in his district’s favor, literally writing his own rules.(9) This knowledge of procedure saw his career skyrocket, landing him a seat as the chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee in the first place, and lead to him being the financier of history. Cannon most certainly had two personas. He was the dirt farmer, the everyman, the down-home dixie gentleman who handed out silver dollars to children as he walked up Broadway, but he was also cunning, manipulative, and the leading authority on Congressional procedure.(10) He financed a revolution in intelligence, a revolution that within the absence of which would have forever changed the world we currently live in. The creation of the CIA was an integral part of the latter half of the 20th century with the advent of the Cold War, and without Cannon, the U.S. very well may have lagged behind the KGB in intelligence capabilities, which could have drastically changed the shape of global politics. This is perhaps why his death was felt so profoundly throughout the nation, from Pennsylvania(11) to Maryland(12), and even Texas(13), President Johnson himself, along with former president Truman and 10,000 others visited our town for his funeral, walked our streets.(14) The fact that our very own Clarence Cannon, the man whose name is on our elementary school, whose home many of us drive past each day, left such a mark on the world as we know it is something Elsberry can truly be proud of. 1 Fenno, Richard. “Oral Histories and Interviews: Fenno-Clarence Cannon-1964.” The Center for Legislative Archives, The National Archives, 14 Dec. 1993, 2 Washington (AP) “Heart Attack Fatal to the ‘Dean’” The Abilene Reporter - News 12 May, 1964: Page 1 3 Mathias, Charles M. “A Tribute to the Integrity of Clarence Cannon of Missouri.” The News, Maryland 18 May, 1964: Page 12 4 Washington (UP) “Almost Halted Atom Bomb Development” The Mexia Daily News 21 November 1947: Page 4 5 Warner, Michael. “Salvage and Liquidation.” CIA Library, 15 Apr. 2007, 6 Warner, John S. “Program and Budget.” CIA Library, 12 Feb. 2018. 7 Warner, John S. “Program and Budget.” CIA Library, 12 Feb. 2018. 8 Stark, Lloyd C. “To All the Voters of the Ninth Congressional District of Missouri.” Gasconade County Republican, Missouri 2 November, 1944: Page 6 9 Washington (AP) “Heart Attack Fatal to the ‘Dean’” The Abilene Reporter - News 12 May, 1964: Page 19 10 Hartley, Michael. Personal Interview. Harmon Kreuger, 28 December, 2017 11 Elsberry, MO (AP) “Cannon’s Funeral in Little Missouri Town” The Kane Republican, Pennsylvania 14 May, 1964: Page 1 12 Mathias, Charles M. “A Tribute to the Integrity of Clarence Cannon of Missouri.” The News, Maryland 18 May, 1964: Page 12 13 Washington (AP) “Heart Attack Fatal to the ‘Dean’” The Abilene Reporter - News 12 May, 1964: Page 1 14 Elsberry, MO (AP) “Cannon’s Funeral in Little Missouri Town” The Kane Republican, Pennsylvania 14 May, 1964: Page 1 For more, view the original article. 2017-12-18T22:44:43+00:00 2018-01-01T21:52:09+00:00 https://elsberryhistorical.org/items/show/130 Elsberry Historic Preservation Society and Matt Hensley No Content Available For more, view the original article. 2017-12-18T22:37:46+00:00 2018-01-01T21:52:09+00:00 https://elsberryhistorical.org/items/show/126 Elsberry Historic Preservation Society and Matt HensleyG No Content Available For more, view the original article. 2017-12-15T22:56:20+00:00 2017-12-17T07:21:34+00:00 https://elsberryhistorical.org/items/show/103 Elsberry Historic Preservation Society and Matt Hensley No Content Available For more, view the original article. 2017-12-15T22:51:23+00:00 2017-12-17T04:57:46+00:00 https://elsberryhistorical.org/items/show/101 Elsberry Historic Preservation Society and Matt Henlsey No Content Available For more, view the original article. 2017-12-15T22:45:18+00:00 2017-12-17T05:18:20+00:00 https://elsberryhistorical.org/items/show/98 Elsberry Historic Preservation Society and Matt Hensley No Content Available For more, view the original article.