Eli Bailey Park
1846 - 1922 (76 years)-
Name Eli Bailey Park [1] Birth 18 Jan 1846 Little Creek, Franklin Co., MO Gender Male Census 1880 Boone Twp., Franklin Co., MO [2] - #73, age 32, farmer, with wife and five children
HIST Place name: Stanton
Description:
A small mining community in the east central part of Meramec Township. It is the successor to a vanished town on a site a short distance to the south, originally called Reedville. Reedville was named for its founder, Dr. Silas Reed, a physician who was born in Ohio in 1810. He came out to Franklin County and became surveyor for Missouri. When the post office was established at Reedville on July 25, 1856, he was its only postmaster. A few months later in the same year, Dr. Reed discovered a very rich copper deposit nearby in the southern part of Meramec Township. These were given the name of the Stanton Copper Mines, for John Stanton, an Eastern man who had come out to Missouri and was proprietor of a powder mill in the vicinity. John Stanton had died a few years earlier, about 1850. On November 11, 1856, the name and location of the post office was changed to Stanton Copper Mines. August Wengler was the first postmaster, and was succeeded by Dr. Silas Reed. The first mine was opened in 1860 and the yield proved abundant. From 1865 to 1867 the town was one of the most flourishing in Franklin County. By 1868, however, deterioration set in, and the population steadily dwindled. In 1920 there was only one person, a renter, living at the former site of Reedville. Meanwhile another community began to grow up a short distance to the north. Charles Gallaher was the first white person to settle there. Bennett Thurmond built the first house in 1866. In 1868 a new town was platted by Theophile Papin, H.W. Leffingwell, R.S. Elliott, Sylvester Papin, and Henry T. Mudd, and given the name of Stanton, shortened from the name of the copper mines. A post office by the name of Stanton was finally established here on August 19, 1880, and has since remained. Also spelled Staunton. (Postal Guide; Davis & Durrie, 364; COUNTY ATLAS 1878, 13, 16; HIST. FRANKLIN, 338-9; Eaton; Kiel's BIOG. DIR., 209; 211; Miss Johnson: Charles Ripley)
Source:
Harrison, Eugenia L. "Place Names Of Four River Counties In Eastern Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1943.
Place name:
Stanton Copper Mines
Description:
See Stanton.
Source:
Harrison, Eugenia L. "Place Names Of Four River Counties In Eastern Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1943.
Stanton
Description:
A small mining community in the east central part of Meramec Township. It is the successor to a vanished town on a site a short distance to the south, originally called Reedville. Reedville was named for its founder, Dr. Silas Reed, a physician who was born in Ohio in 1810. He came out to Franklin County and became surveyor for Missouri. When the post office was established at Reedville on July 25, 1856, he was its only postmaster. A few months later in the same year, Dr. Reed discovered a very rich copper deposit nearby in the southern part of Meramec Township. These were given the name of the Stanton Copper Mines, for John Stanton, an Eastern man who had come out to Missouri and was proprietor of a powder mill in the vicinity. John Stanton had died a few years earlier, about 1850. On November 11, 1856, the name and location of the post office was changed to Stanton Copper Mines. August Wengler was the first postmaster, and was succeeded by Dr. Silas Reed. The first mine was opened in 1860 and the yield proved abundant. From 1865 to 1867 the town was one of the most flourishing in Franklin County. By 1868, however, deterioration set in, and the population steadily dwindled. In 1920 there was only one person, a renter, living at the former site of Reedville. Meanwhile another community began to grow up a short distance to the north. Charles Gallaher was the first white person to settle there. Bennett Thurmond built the first house in 1866. In 1868 a new town was platted by Theophile Papin, H.W. Leffingwell, R.S. Elliott, Sylvester Papin, and Henry T. Mudd, and given the name of Stanton, shortened from the name of the copper mines. A post office by the name of Stanton was finally established here on August 19, 1880, and has since remained. Also spelled Staunton. (Postal Guide; Davis & Durrie, 364; COUNTY ATLAS 1878, 13, 16; HIST. FRANKLIN, 338-9; Eaton; Kiel's BIOG. DIR., 209; 211; Miss Johnson: Charles Ripley)
Source:
Harrison, Eugenia L. "Place Names Of Four River Counties In Eastern Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1943.
Place name:
Stanton Copper Mines
Description:
See Stanton.
Source:
Harrison, Eugenia L. "Place Names Of Four River Counties In Eastern Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1943.
Description:
A small mining community in the east central part of Meramec Township. It is the successor to a vanished town on a site a short distance to the south, originally called Reedville. Reedville was named for its founder, Dr. Silas Reed, a physician who was born in Ohio in 1810. He came out to Franklin County and became surveyor for Missouri. When the post office was established at Reedville on July 25, 1856, he was its only postmaster. A few months later in the same year, Dr. Reed discovered a very rich copper deposit nearby in the southern part of Meramec Township. These were given the name of the Stanton Copper Mines, for John Stanton, an Eastern man who had come out to Missouri and was proprietor of a powder mill in the vicinity. John Stanton had died a few years earlier, about 1850. On November 11, 1856, the name and location of the post office was changed to Stanton Copper Mines. August Wengler was the first postmaster, and was succeeded by Dr. Silas Reed. The first mine was opened in 1860 and the yield proved abundant. From 1865 to 1867 the town was one of the most flourishing in Franklin County. By 1868, however, deterioration set in, and the population steadily dwindled. In 1920 there was only one person, a renter, living at the former site of Reedville. Meanwhile another community began to grow up a short distance to the north. Charles Gallaher was the first white person to settle there. Bennett Thurmond built the first house in 1866. In 1868 a new town was platted by Theophile Papin, H.W. Leffingwell, R.S. Elliott, Sylvester Papin, and Henry T. Mudd, and given the name of Stanton, shortened from the name of the copper mines. A post office by the name of Stanton was finally established here on August 19, 1880, and has since remained. Also spelled Staunton. (Postal Guide; Davis & Durrie, 364; COUNTY ATLAS 1878, 13, 16; HIST. FRANKLIN, 338-9; Eaton; Kiel's BIOG. DIR., 209; 211; Miss Johnson: Charles Ripley)
Source:
Harrison, Eugenia L. "Place Names Of Four River Counties In Eastern Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1943.
Place name:
Stanton Copper Mines
Description:
See Stanton.
Source:
Harrison, Eugenia L. "Place Names Of Four River Counties In Eastern Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1943.MILF Y Occupation Farmer [2] Residence Apr 1921 Gerald, Franklin Co., MO [3] USR1 Bronchial Pneumonia Death 19 Dec 1922 Stanton, Franklin Co., MO [4] - Informant was Mrs. E.B. Parks of Stanton, Cert. signed by Walter R. Mattox of Sullivan
Burial 21 Dec 1922 Stanton, Franklin Co., MO [5] - Stanton Cemetery
Person ID I622 Schrock-Birkey Connection Last Modified 16 Jan 2023
Father William Park (Parks), b. 10 Jun 1810, Madison Co., KY d. 3 Apr 1870, Franklin Co., MO (Age 59 years) Mother Mary (Polly) Cromer, b. 23 Nov 1821, IN d. 31 Dec 1864, Franklin Co., MO (Age 43 years) Marriage 21 Dec 1843 Franklin Co., MO Family ID F327 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Melinda Olive Thompson, b. 30 Mar 1847, Franklin Co., MO d. 6 Oct 1930, Overland, St. Louis Co., MO (Age 83 years) Marriage 28 Mar 1867 Franklin Co., MO [1] - Copy of certificate in file
Children 1. Mary Angeline (Mollie) Park, b. 25 Jan 1868, Champion City, Boone Twp., Franklin Co., MO d. 11 Dec 1938, Stanton, Franklin Co., MO (Age 70 years) 2. John William Spencer (Jack) Park, b. 7 Feb 1869, Leslie, Franklin Co., MO d. 2 Apr 1910, Lutesville, Boliinger Co., MO (Age 41 years) 3. Virginia Ann (Jenny) Park, b. 11 Nov 1872, Little Creek, Franklin Co., MO d. 9 Mar 1954, Sullivan, Franklin Co., MO (Age 81 years) 4. Mahala Clementine Park, b. 6 Sep 1873 d. 22 May 1925, St. Louis, St. Louis Co., MO (Age 51 years) 5. Elviney Elizabeth (Viney) Park, b. 26 Sep 1876 d. 30 Sep 1877 (Age 1 year) 6. James Alfred Park, b. 6 May 1877, Leslie, Franklin Co., MO d. 24 Nov 1942, Stanton, Franklin Co., MO (Age 65 years) 7. Baby (J .H.?) Park, b. 2 Mar 1879 d. 20 Apr 1879 (Age 0 years) 8. Sarah Elizabeth Park, b. 16 Oct 1880 d. 20 May 1925, Farmington, MO (Age 44 years) 9. Eli Oscar Grover Park, b. 7 Aug 1884, Gerald, Franklin Co., MO d. 25 Nov 1952, Kankakee, Kankakee Co., IL (Age 68 years) 10. David Franklin (Frank) Park, b. 13 Jun 1886, Champion City, Franklin Co., MO d. 21 Nov 1976, Fort Worth, Tarrant Co., TX (Age 90 years) 11. Malinda Ella (Ella Mae) Park, b. 24 Apr 1888, MO d. 19 Mar 1969, Creve Coeur, St. Louis Co., MO (Age 80 years) Photos Eli Bailey and Olive Thompson Park
Eli Bailey and Olive Thompson ParkFamily ID F269 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 9 Oct 1999
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Event Map = Link to Google Earth
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Photos Eli Bailey Park (1846-1922) Melinda Olive Thompson Park (1847-1930)
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Notes - Elizabeth Boone, daughter of Frank Park, tells the story her grandfather, Eli B. Park, told her as a child how he lost one of his fingers: In a letter dated July 8, 1993, Elizabeth relates:
"It was when he was in the war between the North and South. The war was over, but he had been taken prisoner by the South (and was still being held by them). It was late in the afternoon and he was with a bunch of other prisoners in the back of a wagon. They came to a big corn field which covered many acres. The captain of the North said, 'Some of you fellows get out and gather enough corn and we will stop and build a fire and roast it for supper.' Grandpa and the next guy to him jumped out and he picked up a hatchet out of the wagon to take along. They ran down the rows of corn and when they were out of sight they just kept going. When they got to the end of the field, there was another road. They went across into the woods and tried to hide. After dark they decided to roast some corn to eat.
"Grandpa took out his hatchet, started cutting wood for a fire, but hit his finger and cut it off. It was winter and had it not been so cold he probably would have bled to death, but as it was, his finger froze as it began to bleed and froze it over. About the time this was happening they heard a wagon coming, so they hid under a brush pile until the wagon went by. When it was far enough away they built a fire and roasted the corn and tried to wrap up Grandpa's finger. They walked back the other way until they thought they were over the northern line and then slept until the sun came up. They ran into some of their (northern) men and kept walking and getting a ride on wagons until they got home."
According to Dave Boone, Frank Park’s grandson, his grandfather told the following stories about Eli:
“Eli went to a neighbor’s farm to visit and found two brothers about to kill one of their cousins. He took a singletree and knocked them out and stopped the fight. Later they did kill the cousin and put the blame on Eli. Eli had to hide out in the woods because the sheriff had people watching the house. Eli’s mother would hang a colored towel in the window if it was not safe to come in and get food, and a white towel if it was safe. He hid several weeks until someone told who really killed the cousin.
“When Eli was plowing by the river, three men came and asked to borrow his mule to cross the river. He refused, but offered to take them across one at a time. He took the first one over and when he went back the other two said they would take the mule away from him anyway. There was a fight and he whipped them both and they had to swim the river to get away.
“My grandfather said he (Eli) had a reputation as a fighter and a fiddler.”
12 Dec 1890 Tribune Champion City Items, reports, “Mr. Eli Park is erecting a new house, he says he knows it is set straight East and West because he set it by his corn rows and Otto Gahlough marked off the ground.”
In the year 1905 (Sept 29) the Tribune Champion City Chips reported, “Our famers have nearly completed corn cutting and are preparing to sow wheat. Most of the fodder cut before the rain is reported worthless and some corn is spoiling in the shock. But the ridge farmers should feel sorry for the bottom farmers this season. And in return the bottom farmers should be sorry for the ridge farmers five to one as it has been about five years since the ridge farmers harvested a crop equal to the one they are harvesting at present.”
FAG gives another child to the couple: Charles E. Park.
Eli Park, Pvt. in Company I under Captain Crowe in 26th Regiment of Infantry Volunteers; Enlisted Sept. 21, 1861 at Union, MO. and mustered in Dec. 26, 1861 at Pacific, MO.; Dis (discharged) Nov 21, 1862 at St. Louis, MO.} [5, 6]
- Elizabeth Boone, daughter of Frank Park, tells the story her grandfather, Eli B. Park, told her as a child how he lost one of his fingers: In a letter dated July 8, 1993, Elizabeth relates:
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Sources - [S15] Eli B. Park Family Bible Record of Births and Deaths.
- [S272] 1880 Census.
- [S36] Mr. Kiel, Kiel File, (Local newspaper), page 29806.
- [S36] Mr. Kiel, Kiel File, (Local newspaper), Obituary.
- [S1060] Find-A-Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41083393/ely_eli_-bailey-park.
- [S36] Mr. Kiel, Kiel File, (Local newspaper), p. 43842.
- [S15] Eli B. Park Family Bible Record of Births and Deaths.