Peyton played a pivotal role in laying Hannibal's foundation

Joseph N. Peyton was awarded the contract to do the brick work on the new railroad buildings under construction at Hannibal in 1857. These buildings were associated with the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, which was completed in 1859. This sketch, from Archie Hayden’s collection, shows the layout of the yards and buildings in South Hannibal.

MARY LOU MONTGOMERY

In 1875, a well-established brick maker and brick layer was selected to superintend the masonry work on the new Empire Mills flour grainery, to be built near Hannibal’s riverfront. It was to be located on the south side of Broadway, to the east of Main Street.

Joseph N. Peyton (1821-1892) had spent most of his adulthood living and doing business in South Hannibal. He was well respected for his community leadership role - serving as a city councilman representing South Hannibal during the pre-Civil War years  - as well as for his time-honored construction skills.

It was estimated that the three-story building project - with an expected capacity for manufacturing 300 barrels of flour per day - would utilize some 350,000 bricks on its exterior, which were to be made locally and installed under Peyton’s supervision.

The Hannibal Clipper of July 15, 1875, also reported:

“The stone work was done under the supervision of Mr. Andrew Schertz, of Hannibal, and includes 500 perch of rock. … The tin work was let to W.C. Busby and Co., of this city, and under the direction of their foreman – Mr. W.H. Davis – the job was executed in a first class style.”

Proprietors of Empire Mills at the time were Henry N. Bennett, Spencer M. Carter, David Dubach and Fred L. Dubach.

Other projects

During his lifespan in Hannibal, Peyton’s reputation garnered him some other major construction contracts, including:

• Railroad buildings: In 1857, as the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad route across Missouri was under construction, his firm - Peyton and James - had been elected to superintend the brick work for buildings under construction in the Hannibal yards, South Hannibal. At that time, Peyton and James made and burned their own brick at their kilns in South Hannibal.

The Hannibal Daily Messenger reported in its June 6, 1857 edition:

“For the repair of engines, and for the construction and repair of cars, there in the process of erection, near the Round house:

“a machine shop 180 x 60 feet;

“a carpenter shop 180 by 60 feet;

“a blacksmith shop 50x60 feet;

“and a wing from the machine shop 36 x36 feet, for the stationary engine used to drive the machinery.”

Archie Hayden, local railroad historian, said that the machine shop and carpenter shop were perpendicular, lined up with Lovers Leap and the Mississippi River. He also noted that the original round house had 10 engine stalls. Five more stalls were later added, for a total of 15 stalls in the 1870s.

• Gas works: In 1859, Peyton won the brickwork contract for the new gas establishment between Fourth and Fifth streets, south of Palmyra Avenue. James McCune was in charge of the stonework for this facility.

• MK&T Roundhouse: In 1874, R. S. Stevens awarded the contract for the brickwork on the new MK&T Roundhouse to J.N. Peyton.

Archie Hayden said that the MK&T roundhouse was located in the vicinity of what old-timers will remember as the area of the Clayton Showgrounds. Archie noted that the roundhouses weren’t a complete circle; instead they were buildings constructed around a turntable. Sometimes they were shaped more like horseshoes, he said. The MK&T roundhouse was torn down in the 1920s.

Civic involvement

In November 1858, Joseph N. Peyton chaired a committee of citizens of South Hannibal for the purpose of building a school house for South Hannibal. J.L. Balthope was named secretary of the committee. 

Peyton family

When the census taker came to call in 1870, Joseph N. Peyton, 48, was recorded as a brick mason, married to Amanda J. Peyton, 43. They had six children living at home:

Henry T. Peyton, machinist (1847-1923)

James W. Peyton, born 1852, clerk;

Joseph C. Peyton, born 1854;

George M. Peyton, 1856;

Amanda R. Peyton, 1858; and

Ruba M. Peyton, born 1860.

Also living with the family;Laura Stovner, 16, domestic, born 1854.

In 1871, Joseph Peyton was associated with a man named Bulkley in the brick manufacturing business, located in South Hannibal.

In 1873, Joseph N. Peyton sold his South Hannibal Brick Yard to Ed. Glavin.

Then, in January 1875, The Daily Clipper suggested that Peyton and Glavin were in partnership: “J.N. Peyton and E. Glavin are preparing to do an immense business burning brick the coming season. Will probably do double the amount of work done last season.”

At the end of the 1875 construction season, Peyton took a leisure trip to St. Louis, aboard the Andy Johnson. Among the other passengers from Hannibal: Messrs. A. Shenker, John Ure, J.S. Bockee, Prof. Nottingham, H.C. Frost, George Moore and J.V. Hibbert.

The following January: “A cyclone from a southwest direction struck the city Saturday afternoon, doing damage to the amount of several thousand dollars. It was about two hours duration, during which time the wildest consternation prevailed. The brick kiln sheds of J.N. Peyton, South Hannibal, were harried away like leaves before an autumnal blast.” (The Hannibal Clipper, Saturday, Jan. 8, 1876.)

On March 6, 1877, the Hannibal Daily Clipper reported that J.N. Peyton left via the MK&T railroad for Wetherford, Texas, “where he engaged in brick manufacture and building.”

He returned to Hannibal at the end of the year, Dec. 3, 1877, and according to the Hannibal Daily Clipper:

“Mr. J.N. Peyton, who for several months has been manufacturing brick at Fort Worth, Texas, is at home on a visit, looking as though the Texas climate agreed with him. Mr. Peyton is an enterprising gentleman and highly esteemed here where he has lived so many years.”

Joseph N. Peyton died in 1892, and his remains were buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery.

Mrs. Peyton moved to California for a time, making her home with her son-in-law and daughter, The Rev. Dr. Jeremiah J. Wilkins, and his wife, the former Miss Elizabeth Peyton. In 1901, Rev. Wilkins was rector of St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, located on Olive Street, opposite Pershing Square, Los Angeles.

She had hoped that the climate change would help her recover her health, but when that failed, she returned to Hannibal, where she died July 29, 1903. She was buried beside her husband in Mount Olivet Cemetery.

Madison Street

Mr. and Mrs. Peyton lived most of their married life on or near Madison Street, South Hannibal. A mention in a Hannibal newspaper, referencing his service on the city council, placed their place of residence on Madison Street, between Fifth and Sixth.

At the time of Mr. Peyton’s death in 1982, their address was 431 Madison. 

But the family’s ties to the neighborhood go back even earlier than that. J.N. Peyton (1821-1892) had called Madison Street in South Hannibal his home since at least 1859, when he and his family lived on the south side of Madison, between Fifth and Sixth.

Those street names will mean little to today’s populace, so a little explanation is deemed appropriate.

Fifth street, as shown on the accompanying map, is now Missouri 79, otherwise known as Birch Street.

Madison Street, which intersects with Fifth Street, is now known as Fulton Avenue. Madison extended across Fifth Street, to the west. The Peyton house, and later the South Side Christian Church, were located at this intersection.

This map is based upon the 1899 Sanborn Fire Prevention map.

In 1912, Sixth Street, South Hannibal, was renamed Cypress. 

The church, on the corner, shared the same lot as the relocated Peyton house, which was renumbered 210 Sixth/Cypress.

Read about the history of the church on this lot in next week’s edition.

This photo represents the old Empire Mills flour grainery, which was located at the foot of Broadway. J.N. Peyton was contracted to superintend the brickwork on this building. Steve Chou collection.

These men are standing in front of the MK&T roundhouse, constructed in 1874, which was located near what was formerly known as the old Clayton Showgrounds. Photo shared by Archie Hayden. Joseph N. Peyton won the brick contract for this building, which has since been torn down.

This map, based upon the 1899 Sanborn fire prevention map, shows the street layout in South Hannibal. The star represents the location of the Peyton family’s home. The house was later moved, and replaced on that corner by the South Side Christian Church. Map by Mary Lou Montgomery.

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