Same year ‘Tom Sawyer’ published, horse ‘collar maker’ comes to town

The building that stood at 309 N. Main St., into the mid 1950s, was once home to Hannibal Horse Collar Manufactory. The business was owned by M.F. Cavanagh. The business was on the first floor, and family members lived upstairs. The building was next door, to the north, of the building which - in 2026 - houses Clemens General Store. Otis Howell photo; Steve Chou collection.

MARY LOU MONTGOMERY

One hundred and fifty years ago - in 1876 - Michael F. Cavanagh moved with his family from Chicago to Hannibal, where he opened a business at 309 N. Main St.

That same year, Sam Clemens, under the pen name of Mark Twain, published his now-famous novel, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” That novel literally transformed Hannibal’s Main Street and its environs from a sleepy riverfront town into the world-famous basis for young boys’ dreams.

It’s unlikely that Clemens and Cavanagh ever met. Twain was living in Hartford, Conn., when he published this great work; and Michael F. Cavanagh, and family, were only in Hannibal for a short time, moving to St. Louis pre-1880.

The two men most certainly trod the same Hannibal streets; but at different times.

Skilled craftsman

When Michael Cavanagh, moved to Hannibal, he brought with him 25 years of experience in the manufacture of fine saddles and horse collars.

Wikipedia describes a horse collar as “A component of horse harness designed to distribute the force of a load evenly across a horse’s shoulders and chest.”

A promotional article in the Hannibal Courier Trade Review of January 1879 noted: “He has established for himself a reputation equal to any other similar establishment in the Northwest.  This establishment gives employment to ten skilled workmen, and turns out about 1,000 dozen of various kinds of collars per year.”

Among those workmen were his son, John W. Cavanagh, born in 1858, and Frederick Williams, who at the time resided at 101 Hill. Also, Mathew Bach was a collar maker for Cavanagh, and boarded over 309 N. Main

These craftsmen worked on the first floor of the building at 309 N. Main Street. Upstairs lived the family members, identified in the 1879 Hannibal City Directory: Michael F. Cavanagh, and his wife, Jane, and their children, including Ida, John W. and Mary.

Miss Ida Cavanagh was a clerk for Olive M. Homans, millinery and notions 104 N. Main. Also doing business at 104 N. Main in 1879 was Louis Heiser, watchmaker and jeweler.

Miss Mary Cavanagh, seamstress for the Misses Annie, Lizzie and Mary Foley, dressmakers, were in business over 119 N. Main.

Collar maker

Michael Cavanagh advertised himself as a (horse) collar maker. This was a valued trade during the decade of the 1870s and 1880s, (as well as before and beyond). Skilled craftsmen in the cities joined unions in order to obtain fair wages and good working conditions.

By the time the census enumerator came to call in 1880, the Cavanagh family had moved to St. Louis, making their home on Pine Street. Michael and his wife, Jane Cavanagh, were each 41. Living with them at the time were their previously mentioned son, John W. Cavanagh, 22; his young wife, Ella Ellis Cavanagh, 16; and Ida F., 20; Mirri (Mary) J., 18; Katie, 16; David Cavanagh, 12; and Alice Cavanagh, 3.

Earns a patent

A leader in his field, Michael Cavanagh was granted a patent for his collar design in July 1885, while living in St. Louis.

The patent was for an improvement in the customary design standards for horse collars of the era:

“In a horse-collar, the neck roll having a slit in its outside covering in front and lengthwise of the neck-roll, forming lips, which are stitched together and covered by the binder.”

Chicago

By the beginning of 1900, the extended family had resettled on Orleans Street in Chicago’s 23rd Ward.

The oldest son, John W. Cavanagh, by then age 42 and divorced, was living with his parents, as were his sisters, Catharine (Katie) 30, and Alice, 23.

The family patriarch, Michael F. Cavanagh, died Dec. 29, 1906, in Chicago, at the age of 67. Burial information shows that his wife preceded him in death.

Mary Cavanagh, born in 1862, was married to James E. Handley, a Chicago area brick layer. According to 1920 and 1930 census records, two of Mary’s sisters were making their home with the Handleys.  Alice Cavanagh, 42 in 1920, was a bookkeeper for a tailoring company, and Catharine (Katie) Cavanagh, 55 in 1920, a seamstress.

Death calls

Mary Cavanagh Handley died June 6, 1947, at Chicago, at the age of 85. Her husband preceded her in death in 1933.

Catharine (Katie) Cavanagh, who presumably never married, died Sept. 18, 1947, in Chicago, at the age of 83. She was buried at Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Cook County, Ill. (Mary and Catharine were still living together as of the 1940.)

Alice Cavanagh, who presumably never married, died Dec. 13, 1947, at Chicago, at the age of 71. She was buried at Calvary Cemetery, Evanston, Cook County, Ill.

Note: In 1873, Jordan & Pitts (John Jordan, William R. Pitts) were conducting a saddle and harness making business at 309 N. Main. In 1875, William R. Pitts was in business alone at this address. And in 1876, Cavanagh occupied this building.

This illustration represents a horse collar with improvements to the design invented by Michael F. Cavanagh. Mr. Cavanagh, who did business in Hannibal during the late 1870s, earned a patent for this invention in 1885. Source: Google Patents. (patents.google.com)

M.F. Cavanagh brought his saddle and collar factory to Hannibal in 1876, doing business at 309 N. Main St. Hannibal Courier Trade Review, January 1879. Newspapers.com

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