Over the years an interesting folklore story has evolved about the naming of the Rock Island stop, known locally as Nay, which was approximately a mile north of Cole Camp, Mo. The story goes that the railroad wanted free right-of-way and donations to build their tracks to Cole Camp but the merchants all said “nay” to the proposals.
By diligent research, a local railroad devotee, Ken Bird, has discovered some hard dollar and cents reasons of why Cole Camp was by-passed and it has nothing to do with the City fathers saying “Nay.” The town of Cole Camp seemed determined to not repeat Stover’s mistakes and according to a 1902 Cole Camp Courier news item, sent a delegation to St. Louis and they met with Rock Island executives. They offered to secure the right-of-way beginning at the Benton County line. Mr. Bolte, a former Lt. Governor, and then a spokesman for the railroad, along with other company officials, told the Cole Camp delegation that an engineering study did not favor a route directly through Cole Camp and the plan they had chosen, for economic reasons, would by-pass the town to the north. Mr. Bolte did assure the Cole Camp group that the railroad would build a spur into Cole Camp, if future business warranted it.
Mr. Bird also discovered in his research that a chief executive for the Rock Island was a man named Robert Nay. There was a railyard in Texas named for him. It’s quite possible the local “Nay” received its name in this manner.
The name Nay was not always used on the time tables. A 1904 time table lists the stop as Cole Camp, not Nay. Also one in 1905 says Cole Camp but a 1906 Courier (local paper) article mentions the Rock Island depot as Nay.
As to the economic reasons cited for by-passing Cole Camp. There were four routes from Versailles being considered. Route #1 went northwest from Versailles to Sedalia and would cost $550,000. Route #2 went west from Versailles, then veered northward toward Dumpville (about half-way between Cole Camp and Sedalia) and on toward Windsor. $240,000 Route #3 From Versailles west through Cole Camp to Windsor, costing $155,000. Route #4 Versailles west, bypassing Cole Camp on the north and then through Ionia to Windsor. This final plan would cost $55,000. The fourth plan was chosen based on the cost of grading. The Railroad Engineers did not recommend coming through Cole Camp and company management agreed.
Four men, Henry Tonjes, George Brauer, August Wehrman and Jacob VonHolton held land in the vicinity of Nay and expected to see the existing Cole Camp move to the new railroad stop. They platted what they believed would be “New” Cole Camp. The area covered 50 acres with platted streets and blocks divided into building lots. An actual dedication of North or “new” Cole Camp was held on October 6, 1904. The new town never materialized probably because the Missouri/Pacific train on the north to south Sedalia/Warsaw line had upgraded to wide gauge track and thus brought freight directly into Cole Camp. As history noted; no lots were ever sold at Nay and the proposed town faded into oblivion. There was no repeat of Stover’s plight. That Sedalia/Warsaw line when it was first built in 1880 had already caused Cole Camp’s main business district to move northward a few blocks to meet it, leaving the old business district behind. That old District is still referred to as “Clabbertown” yet today. The name came into being when all the saloons were operating on Battle Row. If a man was seen leaving his house with a small pail, people would watch. If he headed north to new town, he was going for a pail of beer. If he headed south, he was going for a pail of milk, thus calling that part of the village “Clabbertown.”
Just because the train bypassed Cole Camp did not make the town immune to a large change in lifestyle. At least while the tracks were being laid. Here, and all along the line, large numbers of workmen were needed to fill the around the clock shifts and contractors were “under the gun” to meet projected completion dates.
The present day, pristine Maple Street was once justifiably dubbed Battle Row for all the bar fights and attempted killings. The street was also referred to as Rock Island Venue by the Windsor Review with a clear reference to the patrons of the various saloons.
First beer hall north of what today is the Citizens/Farmers Bank, but was the Citizens Bank in 1904, was the Binder Saloon. The upstairs had been a dance hall but was currently a pool hall. In the front window area of the downstairs was a barber shop, operated by Henry Bode.
According to Father Gilbert Esser’s book of memories, two doors down was a saloon which connected through a doorway to a pool room next door. Opened by Schwartz & Blockberger, they sold to G.W. McKinney. There were other saloons adding to the odiferous atmosphere of tough characters and foul air from the numerous drinking establishments, all this mingled with the stench of horse manure in the streets. Between the buildings were spaces that the drinkers used as urinals. As Father Esser recorded: “The malodorous streams flowed down hill toward the jail and the gully.”
To be continued . . .
