Say "Columbia" to many Lucas Countyans these days and they'll think "McCorkle Hardware," a widely known business that calls this little Marion County town --- just north of the Lucas County line and to your right off Highway 14 on the road to Knoxville --- home.
But back in the day, George W. May's "The Right Place" --- or simply the May Store --- was just as widely known and when Mr. May threw a 50th business anniversary party for himself during August of 1929 an estimated 5,000 people came.
My own ancestors first settled in the Columbia neighborhood during 1847 when my maternal grandfather's great-grandparents, William and Mary (Saunders) Clair, parked their somewhat disfunctional family just east of where the village would be established 10 years later. During February of 1871, my maternal great-grandparents, Joseph and Chloe (Boswell/Prentiss) Brown, relocated from Corydon into the town proper and my grandmother, Jessie (Brown) Miller, was born their during 1875.
Her much-older brother-in-law, Alpheus E. Love, was among other things Columbia's resident photographer for quite a number of years and I've been sorting through some of his images lately and sharing them elsewhere. Among them is this image of the George W. May family, taken about 1906.
Mr. May and his wife, Harriet, are flanked by the twins --- Helen (Wirene) and Harold. Son Thomas is standing between them and son James is standing. I cannot figure out which of the older daughters is which, they they were Erato (Wood), Beneti (Bridgman) and Cleo Whitlatch.
Three years after celebrating his business anniversary, Mr. May was front and center when Columbia itself marked an anniversary --- its 75th. This was front-page news in The Chariton Leader of Sept. 6, 1932, and to prepare his preview of the event Leader editor Will D. Allender traveled to Columbia and sat down with George for a visit. Here's the text of the resulting article:
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Pioneer Days Mark Columbia's Jubilee on 75th Anniversary
"Pageant of Progress" Will Be Feature of Fete Celebrating Columbia's 75th Birthday
THOUSANDS EXPECTED
"The Right Place," George May Store Is Center of History
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| George W. May |
The population of this small inland town in Marion county is expected to swell to more than five thousand when the city turns back the pages of history and lives again those pioneer days.
A program of speeches, entertainment and band concerts has been arranged by enthusiastic committeemen at Columbia and plans were completed Saturday for one of the greatest celebrations in the history of Marion county.
As an indication of the ability of Columbia business men to stage successful homecomings, residents here point to the anniversary staged by G.W. May, pioneer merchant, two (actually, three) years ago. At that time more than five thousand people attended the one-day celebration.
The comparison is apt for George May is typical of the spirit of Columbia. It might be said that George May and his store is Columbia, but the venerable, lovable merchant would not have that, he said. It is true that he has been the guiding spirit at Columbia for more than half a century, but he still refuses anything more than the distinction of being just one of the business men of that community.
The celebration program nowhere includes the name of George May although his sons and brothers are members of various committees. it may be relied upon, however, that May's kindly assistance will be available before the final address of the anniversary celebration is completed.
"The Right Place," as May's store in Columbia is known, is still the community center and any time of the day large numbers of residents gather there to converse. The big store furnishes chairs and boxes where conversations may be had at any time.
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| The May Store, "The Right Place." Photo courtesy Dennis Stotts. |
In addition to being one of the two general stores in Columbia, the May store is the post office and George May is the postmaster. The people of Columbia come daily to the store at eleven o'clock to get their mail which is distributed by Mr. May through the assistance of his son.
He had just finished the distribution of the mail when I walked into the store one afternoon last week. He recognized me although he had met me but once before and that several months before. It is one of May's assets that he remembers faces and names even after a casual meeting.
From a shelf in the post office he pulled down several reference books when I asked about the early history of Columbia. Thumbing expertly through the books, he came to the name of Columbia and then, with the printed material available, began a sketch of the history of the community.
William Kent, an early surveyor of Marion county, was employed by Hugh S. Smith and his wife, Rebecca, in 1857, to plat the original town of Columbia. According to the original plat of the town, the survey consisted of fifty-eight lots and this deed was filed on May 2, 1857. On October 22, 1892, Murr's addition was added to the original town, the new plat consisting of twenty-two lots.
Outside of the home of the Smiths, the town consisted of nothing much more than a few scattered houses, built together to share the advantages of neighborhood and to fight against the dangers of the primeval forest.
One of the first houses in the clearing was built by James D. Steele and the structure was built of logs taken from the forest land. (Allender is engaging in a little poetic license here; Columbia was built on prairie --- the "forest primeval" was some distance to the south).
Shortly after the construction of the houses, John McEldering opened a general store and acquired the distinction of being the first merchant to sell goods in Columbia. New business additions followed in short order with Andrew Reed getting the first post office appointment. Clark and Williams opened a hotel and mill and operated them under partnership.
The first church was erected a few years after the town was built. Rev. P.H. Jacobs was the first pastor in Columbia and he is still remembered by many of the residents at Columbia although his death occurred many years ago.
The original post office at Columbia was located about two miles west of the town and had been located about 1854. Shortly after the town was laid out, the post office was removed to Columbia and Reed named postmaster.
The little town of Gosport had been previously organized about four years before and when the new town was platted, the residents of Gosport were intensely jealous of the new community.
A movement was organized in Gosport to attend the sale of the lots in Columbia and bid in the choice locations. Then, with residents of Gosport owning the best lots in Columbia, the lots were to be left idle, effectually throttling expansion. Patriotic Columbians heard of the scheme however and ran the price of lots up to such high figures that the "committee" from Gosport abandoned the project and the future of Columbia was assured. The growth of Columbia and the economic death of Gosport was the result.
George May did not come to Columbia until August 8, 1879, but with his coming the existence of Columbia was definitely settled.
May first opened a drug store in Columbia and on January 1 of the following year disposed of this establishment to a doctor and bought a partnership with W. Stotts.
J.T. Black was closing out his store on the present location of the May store and May's partner purchased the stock and opened the store.
The Stotts and May partnership existed until 1886 when May went into partnership with (William) Cloud, the father of Noel Cloud, of Chariton. This partnership existed until 1903.
At this time, May sold his building to a man named Yetter, but the new owner was burned out within a few months and May purchased the debris of the store and built the present store. He has been in his present location for the past 29 years.
As I talked to May, a farmer walked into the store and overheard our conversation. May was just telling about the early pioneers of the store and had mentioned the name "McCorkle." Without looking up, May said "That was this fellow's father."
Thus invited, J.E. McCorkle, living in Columbia, laid claim to the distinction of being the oldest living pioneer in Columbia. He came to Columbia in 1856 and has lived in that community continuously since.
May remembered humorously, "At one time we thought the McCorkles were going to take Columbia as more than eight families lived either in or near the town."
When the first mill in the town, operated by Clark and Williams, burned to the ground, May purchased the site and constructed a $6,000 mill, one of the finest in the county.
He operated it successfully for a term of years before it was destroyed and now nothing remains of it.
"There is no one now living in Columbia that lived here when I first came to town," George May said, half sadly and half proudly. All of his neighbors in those early days have either moved away or have passed away.
One of the features of the diamond jubilee anniversary Wednesday will be a pageant of progress, arranged by descendants of the early pioneers. Frank Elwood and E.H. Phelps will have change of this parade and plans already completed indicate that it will be the feature of the entire celebration.
Cleo May, who furnished most of the information in regard to the parade, said that Indians, pioneer wagons and equipment would be contrasted with modern machinery and automobiles in the parade.
The anniversary will be featured by the total absence of any games of chance that usually mark, or rather mar, one-day celebrations. Several concessionaries have asked to bring their games to Columbia for the anniversary but their requests have been denied. Only two booths will be constructed and both of them will be refreshment stands. No dance will be held in the evening.
Columbia is proud of the morality of their celebrations and not one of the residents of the town expressed any regret that these usually-so-necessary adjunctions of a celebration will be omitted.
Miss Parker, of the state department of public instruction at Des Moines, will speak to an assembly of rural school students and teachers in the school grounds at Columbia at 10:30 in the morning. The address will follow a parade of students through the community.
The Pella band, under the direction of H. Kuyper, and the championship drum and bugle corps of Knosville will furnished the music for the anniversary.
The speaking program will include addresses by C.S. Cooter, of Des Moines, democratic candidate for congress from the sixth district, and Governor Dan W. Turner of Iowa.
Horseshoe tournaments, contests and sports will furnish entertainment while a delightful program of vocal and instrumental music has been arranged.
Columbia awaits the coming of its friends and relatives Wednesday and when Governor Turner concludes his address as the final portion of the program, every guest may once again sense the wholesome spirit of Columbia.
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