Built circa 1890, St. Mary’s Ave. house retains charm of its era
For some 75 years, Louise and W.C. Timbrook lived in this quaint cottage at 3331 St. Mary’s Avenue. Before that, Earlbert and Louisa Shepherd called this two-story, brick structure their home. Estimated to have been built circa 1890.
MARY LOU MONTGOMERY
During her lifetime, Louise Canote Timbrook traditionally decorated the front window of her quaint 2-story brick home at 3331 St. Mary’s Avenue with seasonal floral bouquets.
The window decorations were a landmark of sorts, bringing attention from passing motorists to the late 19th Century house where she and her husband, Winifred C. Timbrook, lived most of their 75 years of married life.
Louise Timbrook died in September, 2014, and W.C. Timbrook died in December 2014.
While the Timbrooks were the longest standing the occupants of this house, they weren’t the first family to occupy this St. Mary’s Avenue home.
That distinction likely goes to Earlbert and Louise Shepherd, newlyweds in 1894.
The house, located on a one-third acre lot on the southwest corner of St. Mary’s Avenue and Earl Street, is older than most of the surrounding 1920-era homes, with original construction of this house estimated at 1890.
That’s four years before the house’s original owner, Earlbert T. Shepherd, a carpenter and son of Tylee and Tillie Van Note Shepherd, was married to Louisa Hellenbert.
From the time of their marriage, Earlbert and Louisa Shepherd lived in this house at 3331 St. Mary’s Avenue continuously until Earlbert’s death from a bout with typhoid fever at the age of 40 in 1914. And after that, Mrs. Shepherd continued to live in the house, raising each of their five children to adulthood. Those children included Evangeline (who died in 1913 at the age of 17), Wilbur, Richard, Helen L. and John T. Shepherd. Prior to Louisa Shepherd’s death on Jan. 6, 1933, Mrs. Shepherd had been living with her daughter, Helen L. Shepherd (Mrs. Tom E.) Feaster at 3210 West Ely Road.
Original development
The subdivision in which this house is located was originally divided by Tylee Shepherd in 1891, from Lot 4 of Hubbard’s Subdivision. Tylee Shepherd kept Lot 1 for his own use.
In 1908, Tylee Shepherd’s brother, John B. Shepherd, re-subdivided the Tylee Shepherd Subdivision, leaving Lot 1 as the only property in what is now known as the Tylee Shepherd SD.
The new addition became known as the John B. Shepherd Addition.
John B. Shepherd divided those lots along St. Mary’s Avenue, to the north of Tylee Shepherd’s lot, among his immediate family:
Lot 1: (Tylee Shepherd’s Addition) 3331 St. Mary’s Ave., Earlbert T. Shepherd, son of Tylee Shepherd.
Lot 2: (Beginning of John B. Shepherd Addition) John B. Shepherd;
Lot 3: Mrs. Margaret H. Shepherd, John B. Shepherd’s second wife;
Lot 4: Mrs. Mary S. Logan, J.B. Shepherd’s oldest daughter, born 1867;
Lot 5: Sarah Preston Shepherd, daughter, born 1884;
Lot. 6: John B. Shepherd
Lot 7: John Leighton Shepherd, son, born 1872;
Lot 8: Geo. S. Shepherd, son, born 1877;
Lot 9: Robert H. Shepherd, son, born 1879; and
Lot 10: Frank Shepherd, son born 1879.
Today’s ownership:
Lot 1: (Tylee Shepherd’s Addition) 3331 St. Mary’s Ave., Tyler S. Fohey.
Lot 2: (Beginning of John B. Shepherd Addition) 3405 St. Mary’s Ave., Stacey E. Mudd;
Lot 3: 3409 St. Mary’s Ave., Ramon Mata;
Lot 4: 3415 St. Mary’s Ave., Martin and Bayley;
The rest of the block, north to Pleasant Street, is owned by Mark F. Bayley, Dynasty Trust, for use as Huck’s, at 3441 St. Mary’s Ave.
Shepherds
The name Shepherd is a familiar one, particularly in this Hannibal neighborhood.
Three brothers from Ohio, Abijah Preston Shepherd (1827-1907), Tylee Shepherd (1832-1898), and John B. Shepherd (1840-1916), were early wholesale grocers in Hannibal, operating a business at 104 and 106 N. Fourth prior to 1870. They were sons of Thomas (1804-1888) and Sarah P. Preston Shepherd (1806-1898).
Abijah Preston Shepherd left Hannibal in 1879, prospecting in the Leadville district of Colorado for 15 years, before moving back to his home state of Ohio, in order to enjoy his retirement years.
That left Tylee and John B. Shepherd in Hannibal.
Tylee Shepherd was married to Tillie Van Note in 1863 in Ohio. After leaving the grocery business, by 1885 he was working as a grain dealer. In 1891, he subdivided Lot 4 in the Hubbard’s addition, located to the west of what is now known as St. Mary’s Avenue. The land is in the SE 1/4, of the NW 1/4, of Section 30-57-4.
The land upon which Earlbert Shepherd built his home is located on Lot 1 of Tylee Shepherd’s Subdivision. Adjacent to this lot, to the north, is Earl Street, presumably named for Tylee Shepherd’s son, Earlbert Shepherd.
Downtown property
When he died in 1898, Tylee Shepherd was the owner of the building where he and his brothers operated their wholesale grocery business beginning in 1870.
In 1902, the building housed the Bluff City Shoe factory. The Hannibal Journal reported on a fire in the building: "The machines, stock, both manufactured and unmanufactured, sustained damage throughout the entire building. … the building is owned by Ms. Tylee Shepherd and the damage “(to the building) is estimated at $2,000.”
The building was located directly to the east of Central Park.
Pioneer miller
As early as 1888, John B. Shepherd was partnered in the milling business with Spencer M. Carter, as proprietors of Eagle Mills, 103 S. Third.
After his first wife, Josie L. Shepherd, died in 1896, he was married to Margaret Hogg in April 1901.
John B. Shepherd and family occupied the 3,324-square-foot house across the street from 3331 St. Mary’s, now addressed 115 Shepherd Place. It is estimated to have been built in 1883.
John B. Shepherd died Aug. 18, 1916. His second wife, Margaret Belle Hogg Shepherd, died in May 1936.
Some biographical information: Memoirs of the Miami (Ohio) Valley.
W.C. and Louise Timbrook were honored at a celebration of their 70th wedding anniversary on April 5, 2009. They lived most of their married life at 3331 St. Mary’s Avenue in Hannibal. Montgomery Historical Publications file photo.
Hubbard’s Sub-Division was was platted in 1871. Plat obtained from the Marion County Recorder’s office, Harla Friesz.
In 1908, John B. Shepherd re-platted Lot 4, in Hubbard’s Addition, and designated lot for members of his immediate family. Plat obtained from the Marion County Recorder’s office, Harla Friesz.
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," "The Historic Murphy House, Hannibal, Mo., Circa 1870,” “Hannibal’s ‘West End,’ and the newest book, “Oakwood: West of Hannibal.” Montgomery can be reached at Montgomery.editor@yahoo.com Her collective works can be found at www.maryloumontgomery.com
