I stumbled across the other day what I think is the first illustrated house-for-sale advertisement published in Chariton newspapers --- back in May and early June of 1891. One of the best things about the ad is that the house, known as Rose Lawn and then located at the intersection of Woodlawn Avenue and South 8th Street, still is with us --- although in a slightly different location.
The image is an engraving rather than a photograph and the reproduction here isn't very good --- early editions of Chariton newspapers are available only on microfilm. But the house is recognizable. It's now the lovingly maintained home of Vicky and Dave Edwards --- located just a little south and across the street west of its original location.
I suspect, but can't prove, that the house was built about 1885 by Samuel S. King (1884-1924) and his wife, Harriet. The Kings had lived in Chariton during the late 1870s, then moved to Pella when he went to work as editor of The Pella Blade. They returned to Chariton in 1881 when he was hired as bookkeeper, then private secretary, by Smith H. Mallory; moved back to Pella and The Blade; then returned to Chariton in 1885 to edit The Chariton Democrat when Mallory purchased it.
That seems to have been the approximate year that Edward Ames Temple began to subdivide property he owned near his former home in south Chariton known as Woodlawn, source of the name for the current Woodlawn Avenue and a couple of small subdivisions in that neighborhood. Woodlawn house and a substantial chunk of the land surrounding it had been sold to Orion A Bartholomew during 1883.
Samuel King moved to Kansas City during 1890-91 and Mrs. King remained in Chariton to market the family home, which she did successfully during June of 1891 when it was sold to Daniel and Lizzie Jane (Alexander) Eikenberry.
Daniel had arrived in Chariton ca. 1865 and with his business partner, George J. Stewart, engaged in the lumber, grain and livestock business with sidelines in real estate and coal. Both became prominent --- and among Lucas County's most affluent businessmen. The Eikenberrys were married during 1871and had two children --- William Alexander Eikenberry and Sarah (Eikenberry) Sigler.
Unfortunately Daniel didn't have much time to enjoy his new home, Rose Lawn; he died there at age 68 on Oct. 11, 1893. Lizzie continued to live in the house until her own death on Dec. 30, 1901, age 49.
Their son, William A. Eikenberry, continued to live in the house after his parents' deaths while continuing his father's business operations. During 1905, he married Marcia Murray and a few years later --- happy with the location but not with the older home --- they decided to build a new one on the same site.
As a result, during 1912, they sold Rose Lawn to Effa (McCollough) Brown, daughter of a prominent Chariton merchant family whose unfortunate husband, John Edwin Brown, had dispatched himself with a pistol during 1907. Mrs. Brown then ran for the office of county treasurer, and was elected for the first time in 1911.
Here's how The Chariton Leader of May 9, 1912, reported the transaction: "W.A. Eikenberry has sold his present residence building to Mrs. Effa Brown, who will remove it across the street south of the McCormick residence. Mr. Eikenberry will erect a large modern residence on the grounds, which are among the best in the city. Chariton is fast becoming a city of pretty homes."
The Leader provided an update in its edition of Aug. 22, 1912: "Work on Mr. Will Eikenberry's new house is progressing nicely and this promises to be one of the finest residence places in the city, situated as it is in one of the best locations. The building moved from the grounds and across the street, purchased by Mrs. Effa Brown, is fast being put in shape and will soon be ready for occupancy."
Some three years earlier, Will Eikenberry and his business partner, Luther H. Busselle, had purchased the old Mallory estate, Ilion, consisting of the mansion itself and some 1,000 acres, from federal banking receivers.
The Eikenberrys moved themselves, their children and their belongings into the old mansion and lived there during the summer of 1912 while their new house was under construction.
Will and Marcia Eikenberry raised a family of three children in the new home --- Bill, Ruth (Whalley) and Betty (Whitaker). He died during 1948, age 72, and she died during 1955, having moved into a newer and smaller house a few doors west along Woodlawn.
Bill Eikenberry married Josephine Peterson during 1940 and they eventually moved into the family home where they raised their two children, Dan and Linda.
Bill and Josephine sold the family business during 1968 and eventually, the family home, too, and moved into a new house in what then was called the Ilion Acres Subdivision. The couple moved to California during 1979 where he died during 1994 and she died during 2010. They were the last of the Eikenberrys to live in Chariton.
Across the street, Effa (McCollough) Brown married William Edward Douglass as her second husband during 1919 and they lived together in the original Eikeneberry house until his death during 1929.
Effa continued to live in Rose Lawn on South Eighth Street until her own death at age 78, of a heart attack, on June 26, 1935.
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