Hannibal sisters of the 1870s possessed rare musical talent
The Hopkins sisters, at left, Emma Louise Hopkins Cartlidge, and at right, Frances M. Hopkins Flinn. Portraits by the Deane Brothers, circa 1877-1878, Hannibal, Missouri. Photos contributed by Joseph Haslwanter.
MARY LOU MONTGOMERY
When George P. Coming opened the Select School for Girls in Hannibal during September, 1877, he was lucky indeed to find two highly qualified music teachers to join his staff:
Frances M. Flinn and Emma Louise Cartlidge.
Mrs. Flinn, an accomplished pianist, and her younger sister, Mrs. Cartlidge, who was a soprano in her church choir, each held collegiate degrees from eastern institutions. They were frequently tapped for local performances during their years of residency in Hannibal, and were active members of the First Congregational Church, which at the time was located at Sixth and Lyon.
Mrs. Flinn was educated at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, Mass., and was married to Darwin P. Flinn in 1859.
Mrs. Cartlidge studied at Ingham University, New York, and, for a time prior her marriage, she was reportedly in charge of the music department at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. In 1866, Emma was married to Charles William Alcock Cartlidge, who served as a captain in the U.S. Infantry during the Civil War.
The Select School for Girls was located in the lecture room and parlors of the Broadway Methodist Church, on the southeast corner Sixth and Broadway.
Mrs. Flinn was hired to teach instrumental music and calisthenics.
Mrs. Cartlidge was hired to teach vocal music.
The Rev. George P. Comings, previously associated with the St. Jude’s Church of Monroe City, moved to Hannibal in the summer of 1877 in order to establish the aforementioned school. (His brother, S.E. Comings, simultaneously opened the Select English and Classical School for Boys, located the second story of the building located on the southwest corner of Sixth and Broadway. (By 1878, both G.P. and S.E. were involved in bankruptcy proceedings.)
Hopkins family
The Rev. Timothy M. Hopkins (1800-1871) and his wife, Nancy Spooner Hopkins, parents of Mrs. Flinn and Mrs. Cartlidge, relocated to Hannibal by 1871, making their home with the Flinn family on Fifth Street, south of Lyon.
Rev. Hopkins graduated from the University of Vermont at Burlington on Aug. 15, 1849, and he earned an A.M. degree from Middlebury College in Vermont, in August 1853.
He preached in Rutledge, Vt., from 1828-1830, and later in Massillon, Ohio.
By 1850, the family, which by now included two daughters, Frances and Emma, was living in Racine, Wis. In the spring of that year, Rev. Hopkins, according to the July 14, 1928 edition of the Journal Times, “began preaching in the court house with a view of organizing a Congregational church. Success met his efforts and organization of the church took place a short time later consisting of 38 members, most of whom brought letters from the Presbyterian church. The society was named the First Congregational Church of Racine and adopted articles of faith approved by the Convention of Wisconsin.”
The first building constructed by this congregation was destroyed by fire. They rebuilt, and soon thereafter a storm leveled the second building. A third building was dedicated on Nov. 7, 1854.
In 1859, Rev. Hopkins was ministering at Cayuga, N.Y. That’s where his first daughter, Frances, was married to Darwin P. Flinn.
In mid March 1871, Mrs. Flinn’s family was living on Fifth Street, south of Lyon, at the intersection with Collier Street. It was within a few blocks of the newly newly constructed First Congregational Church at Sixth and Lyon. Living with her family were Mrs. Flinn’s parents, the aforementioned Rev. Timothy M. Hopkins and his wife, Nancy Spooner Hopkins.
Flying debris
A serious wind and rain storm roared through Hannibal on Tuesday night, March 14, 1871, toppling the steeple on the new First Congregational Church, located at the corner of Sixth and Lyon. Wood timbers fell to the ground, just as a program at the church ended and congregants were leaving the building.
Most seriously injured was the Rev. T.M. Hopkins, father of Mrs. Flinn and Mrs. Cartlidge.
The Quincy Whig, in quoting the Hannibal Courier of March 15, 1871, reported:
“The falling timbers struck several persons, felling them to the earth with great violence.” Rev. Hopkins, along with Mrs. George H.I. Nettleton, were completely covered by the falling timbers.
Dr. Alvin Dodge was at the scene when the storm hit, and focused his attention on Rev. Hopkins and Mrs. Julia Nettleton. Drs. A.L. Allen and J.P. Youmans arrived soon to help assist the other victims.
(Julia Augusta Hearn Nettleton’s husband, George, was, at the time, superintendent of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad.)
“Restoratives were administered, and in half an hour Mrs. Nettleton was in a condition to be removed to her residence, corner 206 S. Fifth. She did not fully recovere her consciousness until about midnight.
“It was probably an hour after the accident before it was deemed expedient to remove Mr. Hopkins to his residence on Fifth street, south of Lyon. His injuries are very severe, and it is said produced concussions of the brain. He received a wound on the temple, another on another part of the head, and one on the left shoulder, right upon a cancer tumor with which he has been suffering a long time, and, which was thus opened, afresh, making a copious discharge. Mr. Hopkins has been in feeble health for a long time, and being 73 years of age, it is feared his system will not be able to bear the shock. He was quite low this morning. His recovery is doubtful.”
True to the newspaper’s prediction, Rev. Hopkins soon died, on April 20, 1871. His remains were buried at Hannibal’s Riverside Cemetery.
Others injured were Miss Alice Young, Miss Nellie Bishop and Mrs. G.O. Bishop,
What happened next
C.W.A. Cartlidge moved his family to St. Joseph, Mo., circa 1881, where he worked for the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. They moved to California circa 1894, where they lived out their lives. During his time in California, Mr. Cartlidge was involved with street railway enterprises.
Mr. Cartlidge died in December 1906, at the age of 67. After her husband’s death, Mrs. Cartlidge purchased a home at 720 Cedar Ave., in the Redlands community, where she lived with her unmarried daughters, Annette, Alice and Louise. Mrs. Cartlidge died in 1923.
D.P. Flinn was a miner by trade. He died in 1892, and is buried at Riverside Cemetery, Hannibal.
Both before and after her husband’s death, Mrs. Flinn taught private music lessons in Hannibal.
Mrs. Flinn served as organist for the Pilgrim Congregational Church, which was located on the southwest corner of Fifth and Broadway in 1888, and later at Eleventh and Broadway. She resigned as organist in 1903, moving to California to live near her son, James Hopkins Flinn, and her sister, Emma Cartlidge.
During the later years of her life, she lived at 360 Center Street. When she left Hannibal, she sold her house to Mrs. Pauline M. Buie, mother of C.M. Fette of Hannibal.
Mrs. Flinn died in 1916. Her remains are buried at Hillside Memorial Park in Redlands, San Bernardino County, Calif.
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
