Conlon lumber yard’s roots run deep in timber industry

This photo of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, at Ninth and Broadway, Hannibal, Mo., would have been taken shortly after the church building was completed, circa 1907. Notice to the right - or west - of the building is a shack. This would likely have been a building associated with John J. Conlon’s lumber dealership. The lumber yard encompassed approximately two thirds of the block fronting Broadway, until Conlon sold land upon which the Methodist Church would be built. The remainder of the lumber yard property was ultimately sold, and the Rendlen Motor Company building was built upon this property. Robert Spaun postcard collection.

MARY LOU MONTGOMERY

The golden brick church building at Ninth and Broadway has an a impressive presence along Hannibal’s key thoroughfare. But before the first stone was put in place upon this lot in 1906, the property itself had ties to Hannibal’s core: the lumber industry.

Relating back to the days when timbers were rafted down the Mississippi from the northern regions, John J. Conlon, son of an early lumber dealer, was a participant in the prosperous lumber trade.

His father, John Conlon (1816-1889) had a presence in Hannibal’s booming lumber industry as early as 1859, when he worked for Cruikshank & Son lumber dealership, corner of Third and Collier.

In 1859 the elder John Conlon lived on Fourth Street, Hannibal’s South Side, and had two sons, John J. Conlin (1850-1926) and Thomas Richard Conlon (1848-1899).

In 1885, John J. Conlon was working alongside his father, as the lumber company bookkeeper.

In 1888, the father and son were operating J. Conlon and Son lumber dealers, which included the lumber yards at 909 Broadway, encompassing the east two thirds of the block, on the south side of the street.

After his father’s death in 1889, John J. Conlon assumed operation of the business.

The Hannibal Morning Journal made mention in its June 11, 1901 edition, that John J. Conlon, then alderman for Hannibal’s Second Ward, made a trip to St. Paul, Minneapolis and Stillwater Minnesota, and other northern cities, in order to purchase a year’s supply of lumber.

Two years later, a lumber delivery to Conlon ran amok, when the Steamer City of St. Louis, while backing out from the Hannibal wharf, ran over a raft of lumber belonging to Mr. Conlon. 

“Three cribs of the raft were more or less damaged and some of the lumber floated away,” reported the Aug. 11, 1903 edition of the Hannibal Morning Journal.

Mr. Conlon approached the boat’s captain, who agreed to pay the damages on his return to Hannibal. But apparently, that didn’t happen.

“When the boat returned from her first trip to Quincy the captain did not settle the claim and gave Mr. Conlon very little encouragement.”

So Mr. Conlon contacted his attorney, Thomas F. Gatts, with offices at 208 1/2 Center, to assist him in debt collection.

“The matter was laid before Judge (David S. Scott) who upon the affidavit filed by Mr. Conlon issued a warrant - an attachment - and the same was placed in the hands of Constable (George W.) Munson to serve. In this case the warrant was against the boat and not against the officers and owners. Sunday night Constable Munson, accompanied by Deputy Sheriff (James F.) Brady and Mr. Conlon, met the boat when it landed on the return trip from Quincy, at a point about a half mile above the bridge. Constable Munson went aboard to serve the papers, and that is when he had his experience. He spoke to the captain who excused himself and walked away and that was the last seen of him by the officer. The constable then approached the first mate who took the paper and read it, but paid no attention to it, saying however that he knew what it was and that it would be paid, or words to that effect. As this did not satisfy the officer he proceeded to tie up the boat, but one of the crew untied the rope. The officer ordered him to retie it, which was done, and then the mate of the boat threatened to throw the officer overboard. One of the officers caught Mr. Munson and held him while another one with an ax cut the cable and let the boat drift way from shore. Mr. Munson succeeded in getting ashore before the gangway was pulled in, and the steamer pulled out for Quincy.”

Church lot

Previous stories in this historical series describe how the Broadway Methodist Church sold its previous building at Sixth and Broadway to the Mystic Lodge in 1906, and arranged for the construction of a new church edifice on the south east corner of Broadway and Ninth Streets, which was completed in 1907.

To facilitate this, in mid August 1906, John J. Conlon sold a portion of the Broadway footage upon which his lumber yard was located, part of Lot 16, Munson SD Out Lot 65 in the city of Hannibal, to the Broadway ME Church, for a consideration of $4,500.

In 1925, the John J. Conlon coal, lumber and roofing company was in business at 823 Broadway, a half a block to the east from the original lumber yard site.  Conlon, his wife Mary, and sons John M. and James E. Conlon, all lived at 220 N. Tenth, on the southeast corner of Tenth and Bird.

Death calls

John J. Conlon, who had been a Hannibal businessman for more than 50 years, died in July 1926, at Excelsior Springs, Mo., where he had gone in the interest of his health. His remains were shipped to Fort Scott, Kan., for burial.

NOTE: The former church building at Ninth and Broadway is now owned by Carrie Griffen and serves as home to the Hannibal Music Academy and Performing Arts Hall.

Otis Howell took this photo of Broadway, facing west, in October 1955. The south side of the 800 block of Broadway would be demolished a decade later to allow for the construction of the Federal Building, which still serves as Hannibal’s post office. Just beyond the first car in a parade you can see the sign “Conlon Lumber & Coal Co.” Prior to moving to this location during the early years of the 20th century, Conlon’s was located to the west, on the site where the Broadway United Methodist Church was constructed. The church building is now owned by Carrie Griffen, and serves as the Hannibal Music Academy and Performing Arts Hall. Steve Chou photo collection.

Mary Lou Montgomery, Suburban Newspapers of America Editor of the Year, Dailies, 2010, 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: “The Notorious Madam Shaw,” “Pioneers in Medicine from Northeast Missouri,” “Hannibal’s ‘West End,’” “Oakwood: West of Hannibal,” “St. Mary’s Avenue District,” and “Live, on stage in Hannibal 1879: ‘H.M.S. Pinafore.’” Montgomery can be reached at montgomery.editor@yahoo.com Her collective works can be found at www.maryloumontgomery.com