Stoddard St.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Stoddard Street

The Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Company, established in 1867, compiled and published maps of U.S. cities and towns for the fire insurance industry to assess fire risk. These can viewed on the University of Missouri Digital Library website.

1895

1906

1911

Citizens Bank

In 1902, a committee of three was appointed to control the building of the bank, purchase the lot and all fixtures needed, and conduct any and all business pertaining to the creation, completion, and payment of the new bank building. Members of the committee were: J.E. Franklin, G.A. Eickholf (chairperson), and J. N. Miller. A. H. Carter was named secretary. Board of directors elected on June 23, 1902 at the first meeting: J. N. Miller (President), W. W. Norman (Vice President), Asa Norman (cashier), A.H. Carter (Secretary). Asa Norman was paid $75 a month and had an assistant. Meetings were the first Wednesday of the month at 8:00PM in the Miller and Carter store (Info from Citizen's Bank Stockholders Book, 1902).

2022	1903 The Citizens Bank building was built in 1903. Made of red pressed brick and stone. The interior was quarter sawed oak and marble. It underwent major renovations in 1921. The lot was purchased, as well as the furnishings for the bank, from Miller and Carter for $2,150, plus 6% interest.

Table from Citizen's Bank, it can be seen in use below.

1909

Over the years the bank rented the top floor out for various businesses and organizations such as the library and the I. O. O. S. Lodge No. 132.

Citizens Bank Interior

Interior of Citizens Bank with bank officers. Left is Sam Ulen, Graden Ulen, John T. Moore, Tom Kennedy.

During the 1920s the bank was renovated with new furnishings.

List of directors and stockholders.

In 1955, Citizens Bank moved further up North Walnut St., In 1975 it renovated the building and added a drive through.

Bank of Dexter

The first bank in Dexter was created in 1889 by a group of Kentucky men who organized the Stoddard County Bank, D. B. Garrison as cashier. In 1891, the bank was closed (in part due to the above mentioned Kentucky men who apparently planned to steal the money) and reorganized by E. C. Mohrstadt of St. Louis. The bank was reopened as the Bank of Dexter. On February 8, 1892, the Bank of Dexter opened, it was nationalized on March 24, 1919. During the Great Depression the bank failed, but depositors were later compensated a percentage of their savings lost. The Bank of Dexter was located on the east side of Walnut St. half way on the block. In 1907 it moved to its location on Stoddard Street.

Stoddard St.

Bank of Dexter Interior.

J. J. Dowdy Drugs

(Corner of Stoddard and Walnut)

Born in 1857, John J. Dowdy was a young man when he entered business as a clerk for Quinton Slack’s drug store located on the northeast corner (facing north) at the intersection of Walnut and Stoddard Streets.

In 1894 Dowdy bought Slack’s drug store, originally built in late 1873 or early 1874, and tore down the two story frame structure. In 1895 his new two story brick building was completed and opened for business. Dowdy’s new structure featured fine Italian marble countertops, and a state of the art soda fountain. It was the first business in town to have its own internal water and lighting system, which became a model for other businesses built after 1895. For nearly fifty years Dowdy ran a successful business operation expanding from medicine to general hardware, jewelry repair, books, and several other business ventures.

The blue siding was added in 1961 and has since been removed.

Commercial Hotel
(Powell Hotel - 1895)
(Pickwick Hotel - 1900)
(Commercial Hotel - 1906)

The Chamber of Commerce met here during the 1920s and 1930s.

John Thomasson Photography

John Thomasson set his tent photo studio up on the lot opposite of the Iron Mountain Railroad Depot sometime around 1909. In October 1910 he bought a lot on east Stoddard and built a brick studio. By 1919, his son Bill was running the photography business and was located on the second floor of the Sherwood building above Childs' store on Stoddard Street.

The Great Snow of 1918

The temperature dropped dramatically during the second week in January, 1918. By Saturday, January 12, a new record was set when the high temperature that day did not get above -20 degrees. The next day, snow began to fall and it did stop for two days dumping thirty-five inches of snow on Dexter and the surrounding area. To make matters worse, a coal shortage followed that made matters worse. It wasn't until Saturday, January 26, that the snow began to melt. During the month of January, twelve steamboats on the Mississippi sank due to ice and snow (Weber diary and Daily Statesman).

Ira White

Ira White built this store building in 1898. By 1910 his sales were $20,000 to $25,000 annually. He carried clothing, hats, caps, shoes, and men's and boy's underwear. He drew business from New Madrid, Butler, and Dunklin Counties.

McDonald's Candy Kitchen

George McDonald operated his Candy Kitchen and restaurant in the building formally operated by Ira White. McDonald was a self made man and once boasted that from 1906 when his business opened, to 1928, no less than twenty-five restaurant owners came and went. He modernized the building before opening up for customers and constantly looked for new ways to keep is establishment as clean as possible. He replaced old cheese crate chairs for new tables and chairs, repaired the interior, and even froze his water in order to prevent his customers from getting Typhoid Fever from the water.

Armistice Day - November 11, 1918

This rooster raised $3,800 which in 2019 money would be just over $64,000.

While the above photographs denote that there was an Armistice Parade on or near November 11, 1918, I believe photos to be from a later parade that honored Armistice Day. Newspapers do not mention any parades dedicated to victory in WWI until 1921 when the League of Women Voters and Women's Civic League sponsored a celebration.