‘Hackman’ T.C. Lamey constructed house of lasting architectural interest

On a beautiful fall day, the house at 816 Center Street still commands a grand appearance. Note that there are two stairways up the hillside to the house. The original house on this lot was torn down in 1907, when the new house (shown) was built. Perhaps the steps at left were the steps to that original house. Photo by Meryle Martin Dexheimer.

MARY LOU MONTGOMERY

Tom Lamey was described in the Dec. 1, 1900, edition of the Hannibal Courier-Post as “the old reliable hackman.”

In today’s language, that might not be considered such a compliment, but a hundred and 24 years ago, it was the ultimate compliment for a man of his profession.

He operated Lamey’s Hack and Baggage Line, out of Loudon’s Livery Stable, 615-621 Broadway, and provided a service vital to the people of the community.

With the advent of automobiles still in the distant future, Lamey, as a huckster, provided horses and carriages for rent, in addition to stalls in which to board horses.

That December, 124 years ago, Lamey advertised in the Hannibal Courier-Post that he had added a baggage wagon to his inventory. “Trunks will be called for and claim checks issued for same.”

As the first years of the 20th Century progressed, Lamey partnered with undertakers Robert A. Curts and Thomas O’Donnell to establish Broadway Livery Co., on the same site as the previous Loudon’s Livery Stable.

The partners sold the business in June 1910, to the Southwestern Land Development Company, Curts reportedly taking as partial payment, 840 acres of land, located near Houston, Texas.

 Mr. Lamey stayed on for awhile in order to manage the new company.

Life on Center Street

Lamey and his family (wife Margaret Flynn, son Thomas Lamey and daughter Ruth Catherine Dacey) were living comfortably in a two-story brick house located at 812 Center St.

In 1902, he made major upgrades on this property, by adding a granitoid (cement) sidewalk in front of his residence, along with granitoid steps leading from the pavement to the yard, and also in front of the house on the terrace.

While grand in appearance, this project brought a colorful and descriptive scolding in the Hannibal Courier-Post on Oct. 18, 1902.

“Since Thomas Lamey has had the sidewalk brought to (street) grade and put down a granitoid walk in front of his residence property on Center street, it is next to impossible for pedestrians to pass along that thoroughfare. The sidewalks on the north side of Center street, between Eighth and Ninth, are nearly or quite three feet above the grade, and since Mr. Lamey has put his to grade, a step ladder is necessary to reach it. The property owners should be compelled to bring their sidewalks to grade as under the present conditions they are dangerous.”

(It appears that today, the sidewalks are about three feet above the grade of the street.)

New house

In the summer of 1907, Lamey contracted to build a new house on the same lot as his previous house. C.V. McDonald was the architect who designed the new Queen Ann style house with a eight-foot wrap around porch, and H.A. Riemann was the contractor.

The contract price was $4,420.30, exclusive of hardware, wiring, plumbing and heating, which was to be provided by Lamey. (A copy of the contract was found among the legal papers of noted Hannibal attorney, Charles E. Rendlen, 1879-1957.)

As part of the agreement, the contractor allowed Lamey $550 for the old building standing on the lot, where his family lived at the time.

Subcontractors included:

Menke Stone and Lime Company, Quincy, Ill., for cut stone;

James H. Dunlap, stone contractor;

Richmond and Elgin, brick work;

CB&Q Railroad, freight on cut stone;

Kaup, trim work;

Tom Traynor, carpenter;

Leonard and Son, painting, Jonathan C. and Arch Leonard;

Herman Schultz, plasterer;

Work and materials were also provided by:

J.F. Meyer and Co., J.F. Meyer and C.F. Bassen, street planing mill, 300-322 S. Fourth;

Hannibal Lumber Co., 301-303 Church, Scott Wright, manager;

Cruikshank Lumber and Coal Co., materials purchased by W.E. Campbell, plasterer, for the Lamey house.

The contract between the contractor and homeowner stipulated: “Payments shall be made from time to time by the owner, as the contractor may require to meet the expenses as the work progresses. But all the bills for the materials made by the contractor shall be exhibited before the final settlement is made.”

Close call

In December 1910, the Courier-Post reported that “some naughty boys, who seem to be under no parental restraint, set fire to the dry grass on the terrace in front of T.C. Lamey’s residence on Center street. Had not the fire been discovered when it was it would’ve extended to the residence and a conflagration would have occurred. The fire burned over almost the entire terrace of the front yard. the boys escaped before they could be identified.”

Legacy

While Tom C. Lamey died in 1919, the house remained in his family until circa 1968, when the Lameys’ granddaughter, Mary Carolyn Dacey Rhino, died.

Esley Hamilton wrote for the National Register of Historic Places: “This is one of the simplest Queen Anne designs in the (Maple Avenue Historic) district and probably the least altered.”

This circular sidewalk, originally poured during the first decade of the 20th Century, adorns the front yard of the house at 816 Center, originally owned by Tom Lamey. It remained in his family until circa 1968, when his granddaughter died. Photo by Meryle Martin Dexheimer.

The current occupants of 816 Center allowed this photo of the interior foyer of 816 Center to be taken. Note the beautiful original woodwork. Some of the woodwork was prepared by J.F. Meyer and Co., J.F. Meyer and C.F. Bassen, street planing mill, 300-322 S. Fourth. The property is owned by Sanborn Properties LLC. Photo by Meryle Martin Dexheimer.

The 1913 edition of the Hannibal Sanborn map shows the house at 816 Center, which was constructed in 1907. Note that it is a two-story, brick building, with a wooden wrap-around porch.

The 1906 edition of the Hannibal Sanborn map shows the house with the address of 812 Center, which was replaced in 1907. Circa 1910 the address was changed to 816 Center. Note that 812 Center was closer to Center Street than the neighboring houses.

Mary Lou Montgomery retired as editor of the Hannibal (Mo.) Courier-Post in 2014. She researches and writes narrative-style stories about the people who served as building blocks for this region’s foundation. Books available on Amazon.com by this author include but are not limited to: "The Notorious Madam Shaw," "Pioneers in Medicine from Northeast Missouri,” “Hannibal’s ‘West End,’” “Oakwood: West of Hannibal,”  and “St. Mary’s Avenue District.” Montgomery can be reached at Montgomery.editor@yahoo.com Her collective works can be found at www.maryloumontgomery.com