Capt. Robert M. Marshall​

David became a notary public, conveyance merchant, and by 1879, was postmaster of the village of Tuscumbia.​​​​​​​​​​​ David and Mary (Burwell) Marshall lived the remainder of their lives in Tuscumbia and are buried at the town's cemetery.

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Robert Melville Marshall attended schools in Chicago and then finished his education at Tuscumbia. As a teenager, he worked for 6 years as a printer for the MILLER COUNTY HELMET and the MILLER COUNTY VIDETTE, early newspapers published in Tuscumbia. The HELMET consolidated with the VIDETTE in 1875 and had 424 subscribers at that time.

As a young man, Robert left the newspaper business and began working on the Osage River. Later he went into partnership with Capt. Henry Castrop in the purchase of three riverboats. He loved the river life and for a long period of time was owner, master, and pilot of steamboats on the Osage and Missouri rivers. In 1883, Capt. Marshall and Wm. Hauenstein built the sternwheeler, FREDERICK, at Tuscumbia. It weighed 82 tons and was almost 100 feet in length. In 1894 the boat sank at Jefferson City, but was raised and repaired for river use again. Captain Marshall played an important role in early transportation on the Osage.

NOTE: You can read more about Captain Robert M. Marshall on the Miller County Historical Society website under the section called "Transportation in Miller County---Steamboating"....psh

On December 15, 1881, Robert Melville Marshall married Emma A. Hauenstein, youngest daughter of Wm. H Hauenstein Sr. and his wife, Maria Elizabeth (Steigleman). Emma was born in February 1860 in Monroe County, Michigan and came to Miller County with her parents before 1870. They also settled in Tuscumbia. William and Elizabeth Hauenstein were natives of Bavaria (Germany) and came to America in 1852.

Robert and Emma were childless and spent their entire married lives in Tuscumbia. Capt. Robert gave up his Osage river enterprises about the turn of the 20th century and organized the Bank of Tuscumbia in 1902. He served as the bank's president for 30 years. Before he began his new life as a banker, the Marshalls made a trip to Europe in 1900 where they visited the Great Paris Exposition. Before returning home to America, they visited his parent's relatives in Scotland, the Marshall and Burwell families.

Capt. Marshall built a beautiful and unique home for his wife. It still stands today to the west of Riverside Park overlooking the mighty Osage river as it flows northeasterly through Tuscumbia heading to the mouth of the Missouri. The house is a stately, Victorian styled home with the usual fancy, ornate trims, but what makes it unique is the 'added extras' built into the house. It doesn't take much imagination to realize the house looks very much like a riverboat !!!!!!

Robert Melville Marshall died in 1954 at the age of 96 years. His wife of 69 years died four years earlier in 1950 at the age of 90 years. Both are buried at Tuscumbia cemetery and buried beside them is Viola Scrimager (1860-1950) who had worked in their home for 45 years. She was treated as a devoted family member. It is sad to realize that the Marshall family name died away with the passing of Robert Melville Marshall, who died childless, and famously known as the Miller County Steamboat Captain of the Osage......

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