Mainland built park, ballfield to generate street car revenue

This photo, from 1905, shows Car #22 at the site of Athletic Park. The baseball park, operated by the Hannibal Railway and Electric Company, of which  John S. Mainland was manager. Games were first played at the park in 1902, and the park was dismantled in the spring of 1907.  The park was located between Hawkins and Lamb avenues, south of St. Mary’s Avenue, in what is now the Mary L. Smith Subdivision. Mainland family photo contributed by Willy Richmond, a Mainland descendant.

MARY LOU MONTGOMERY

In August 1901, John S. Mainland, a widower, arrived in Hannibal to take over management of the Hannibal Street Railway and Electric Company.

Nine months later, he took for his second wife Miss Belle Barnes, born circa 1868, niece of Mrs. John Rodes (Mary Lowry Barnes) Smith.

Belle was the daughter of Mrs. Smith’s brother, W.D. Barnes, who had settled in Hannibal. In 1888, Belle Barnes, a former school teacher, lived on the south side of Chestnut, near Hawkins Avenue.

Genealogy lesson:

John Rodes Smith and Sarah Ann Smith were siblings, children of William Asa Smith (1797-1864) and Ann Rodes Thompson Smith (1799-1872).

Each was raised and married in Kentucky:

• Sarah Ann Smith married Jamison F. Hawkins (son of Elijah and Sophia Bradford Hawkins) in 1841, at Scott County, Ky.

• John Rodes Smith (1820-1884) married Mary Lowry Barnes, (daughter of Catesby and Judith M. Barnes of Woodford, Ky.) in 1852.

Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins moved to Hannibal, Mo., circa 1839. After profiting during the California gold rush, Jamison F. Hawkins came back to Missouri and purchased some 300 acres of land in the area that would become known as St. Mary’s Avenue, and he, and later other family members, divided and sold the land.

Jamison Hawkins’ sister and brother-in-law, the aforementioned Mr. and Mrs. John Rodes Smith, moved to Hannibal circa 1873.

Both the Smith and Hawkins families settled in the St. Mary’s Avenue region, and managed extensive property holdings.

Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins had at least nine children, including a daughter, Thetis Clay Hawkins, born in 1844. She would marry William Henry Hatch, who would later become the U.S. Representative from Missouri, and namesake of the Hatch Act of 1887.

In addition to the Smiths’ daughter, Belle Lowry Barnes, they had a son, Catesby Barnes Smith, born in Woodford County, Ky.

Catesby Barnes Smith died in 1881, leaving his only son, William Barnes Smith, born in 1880 in Hannibal, to be raised without a father.

In retrospect

Recognizing the rich history of her family, the marriage between John S. Mainland and Belle Barnes could have been considered a strategic move for the transportation entrepreneur. Belle’s aunt, Mrs. Mary Lowry Barnes Smith, herself a former school teacher, was considered to have a keen eye for real estate opportunities, and had acquired some valuable land in Hannibal’s West End, some of which was located right at the point along St. Mary’s Avenue where the street car line, under Mainland’s management, ended.

That land included several acres of hillside fronting St. Mary’s Avenue, (in today’s terms, 2800 St. Mary’s Avenue), which had previously been known as Fairview Park and Camp Meeting Hill, located just to the south of Rackliffe Street.

Another parcel that Mrs. Smith owned was flat land located in Lot 2 of Hawkins Subdivision, just to the south of St. Mary’s Avenue, north of Chestnut, between Lamb and Hawkins.

Mainland’s transportation company already offered the populace an opportunity to travel from one end of the city to the other for a nickel. As those nickels added up, Mainland’s entrepreneurial spirit kicked in.

What if he built a summer theater on the land already owned by his new wife’s aunt, including a dance floor, a stage, electric lights and picnic areas? How many people would ride from South Hannibal or mid town in order to dance, picnic or listen to live music?

What if he also constructed a ball field on a flat piece of ground about a block to the south of the outdoor venue, which his wife’s aunt owned, located to the north of Chestnut street, south of St. Mary’s? Would people ride the rails across town and fill the grandstands in order to watch a good game of baseball?

The answers to those two questions were yes, and yes.

Early Mainland house

On Lot 1, Hawkins Addition, in the shape of an irregular quadrilateral, there was (and is) a house situated south of St. Mary’s Avenue, east of Lamb Street. That’s where this author believes that John S. Mainland settled with his new wife, and nearly grown children, St. Clair, Leslie and Ann. (Today the home where it is believed by this author to be at  2523 Broadway, east of Lamb street, facing Broadway.)

Within walking distance to the west of this house was land that John S. Mainland would transform into Athletic Field by the spring of 1902.

A grandstand had already been built at the field, and in addition, Mainland arranged for bleachers to be added for extra seating.

Finally, it was time to play ball.

The Hannibal Morning Journal announced the match up in its June 7, 1902 edition. The Carpenters would challenge the Cigarmaker Blue Labels.

The Tuesday, June 10, 1902 edition of the Hannibal Morning Journal carried the game’s outcome: the Cigarmakers defeated the carpenters by a score of 13 to 9.

In the same neighborhood, at noon on the same day, east-bound street car No. 2, in charge of Conductor Ellis and Motorman Lee Jones, ran over and killed a cow on the west end of Chestnut,  near the ball park. The animal was the property of Worden B. Settle, a contractor, who lived nearby on Broadway extension.

Jake Beckley

The June 27, 1902 edition of the Hannibal Morning Journal announced that the Cincinnatis, a National League baseball club, had agreed to play the Hannibals at Athletic Park on July 18. Jake Beckley, a Hannibal native, was the team’s crack first baseman and was expected to be on the roster.

Summer theater

The ball park now functioning and popular, by January 1904 Mainland was ready to turn his attention to the land near Rackliffe Street that he had renamed in honor of his wife’s aunt: Smith Park.

It was Mainland’s idea to install a summer theatre at Smith Park. The newspaper said that the street car company held a lease on Smith Park for at least two more seasons. In the meantime, the street car company now owned Mark Twain Cave, where another entertainment venue could be established at the opposite end of the line. (The cave expansion didn’t take place; the land was instead sold to Archie Cameron.)

In August 1904, something went terribly wrong. Mainland’s wife was admitted to Levering Hospital, suffering from typhoid fever. While they held out hope for her recovery, two weeks later, she was dead.

While still living on the property owned by his late wife’s family, and while hosting entertainment venues on her family’s land, Mr. Mainland realized he had some cause for concern.

Belle Mainland’s aunt, Mary Lowry Barnes Smith, had passed away the previous April. And when the will was read - to John S. Mainland’s surprise - his wife had been all but omitted as her aunt’s benefactor. In fact, Belle’s inheritance was just $10.

The bulk of the estate was left to William Barnes Smith, Mary Lowry Barnes Smith’s grandson, and his young daughter, Mary Lowry Smith Jr.

What did this mean to Mr. Mainland? It seems the land he staked his business and residence upon had been pulled out from beneath him.

John S. Mainland and other heirs challenged the will, unsuccessfully. Significant time passed.

When the lease on the entertainment properties expired, work began to tear down what had been built up.

In November 1906, the newspaper noted that the wood recovered from the bleachers at Athletic Park would be used in making concrete forms for the bridge to be put in over Minnow Creek on the Oakwood extension.

The Hannibal Morning Journal on March 3, 1907, wrote:

“Goodby Smith’s Park

“Goodby Athletic Park.

“These two parks which have afforded unlimited pleasure to many people will be closed and the place utilized for a chicken farm. (William B. Smith did, indeed, operate a poultry farm in 1909, while living at 2321 St. Mary’s Ave.)

John S. Mainland announced plans to move from his residence on St. Mary’s Avenue, and to build  himself a new eight-room frame house atop the Market Street bluffs. “The place is now being planned by the architect and building on it will be commenced in about two weeks. The place will be located on the Hawkins property on the Oakwood end of the line,” the newspaper reported.

Ouster

In October 1907, the Hannibal High School football team planned a practice game on the old Athletic park field. The Hannibal Morning Journal, in its Oct. 10 edition, reported:

“William (B.) Smith, who owns the old Athletic park, ordered the boys off the grounds just before the game was called, and they were obliged to play in a vacant lot in the vicinity of the former grounds. Ironically, back in 1903, the same William B. Smith had been one of the players on the Hannibal baseball team versus the St. Louis Diels, a game which was scheduled to be played on Sunday, July 19, 1903, at Athletic Park. Smith was scheduled as the left fielder.

Moving ahead

Eight years passed from the time of Mary Lowry Barnes Smith’s death in 1904, until the land she owned south of St. Mary’s Avenue was disposed of. The land was subdivided into the Mary L. Smith Jr., subdivision, named after Mrs. Smith’s great-granddaughter. Sidewalks and sewers were installed, and lots divided. Now, it was time to sell those lots. The minimum bid required would be enough to pay for sidewalk and sewer taxes owed to the city.

The auction took place on Aug. 15, 1913. All the available lots were sold, garnering enough money to pay for the sewer and sidewalk taxes levied against the lots.

William B. Smith, grandson of Mary Lowry Barnes Smith, purchased lot 1, St. Mary’s Avenue, for $600. Also: lot 2, block 1, $500; lot 3 block 1, $700; lot 4, block 1, $800.

Onward

Meanwhile, John S. Mainland was forging ahead with other street car expansion plans, including the construction of a new fireproof car barn, big enough to accommodate 20 cars. The car barn was built at 2816 Market.

He also established the Mainland Baseball Park, located at 2735 Market, which opened in the spring of 1912.

He was ultimately able to route the street car line to Oakwood, a task requiring the construction of a street-car specific bridge across Minnow Creek, the purchase of right of way access and much land reshaping. The first street car arrived in Oakwood at 9 a.m. Dec. 25, 1906.

Death calls

John S. Mainland died Sept. 5, 1918, at the age of 61, while still in active management of the street car company. At the time of his death, both of his sons were active duty military. Sinclair Mainland was with the Officers Training School in Georgia, and Leslie Mainland was serving with the aero division of the U.S. Army in France. John S. Mainland was also survived by his mother, Mrs. Leslie Mainland; a daughter, Mrs. Robertus (Anna) Richmond of Hannibal, and by two brothers and two sisters.

He was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Section 6. His wife, Belle Barnes Mainland, is also buried at Mount Olivet, in section 2.

This photo represents Hannibal Railway and Electric Company’s Car #22. Car #22 is a summer car that was being used in place of a closed car, which was in for repairs. The car was in charge of Motorman Graber and Conductor Brandon. This photo was taken at the Summer Theater, on St. Mary’s Avenue just to the south of Ratcliff Street. If you look closely at the background, you can see the Summer Theater’s infrastructure, including the theater itself, at left. On Thursday, March 14, 1907, this car was running on the Oakwood division and jumped the track just after the car had crossed the Minnow creek bridge.  The front trucks left the track and before any brakes could be set, the car crossed the road and went part way down the embankment on the opposite side of the road. Mainland family photo contributed by Willy Richmond, a Mainland descendant.