Peggy Smith-Hake's
"Window to the Past"
TUSCUMBIA'S SISTER CITY--TWINS IN HISTORY
By Peggy Smith Hake
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​​(printed in THE MILLER COUNTY AUTOGRAM-SENTINEL in the column, 'WINDOW TO THE PAST', Dec. 19, 2002)
NOTE: While I have not​​​ run across a complete article on the history of Tuscumbia, Missouri written by Peggy Hake [yet], I did find a short synopsis about the town and an interesting article (below) she wrote about Tuscumbia's "sister city".... (Kelly Warman-Stallings)
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On the banks of the gently flowing Tennessee River, in northwestern Alabama, sits a lovely little city named Tuscumbia.
Her history extends backward in time to the 18th century when a French colony established a trading post at the mouth of Spring Creek near present-day Tuscumbia. They traded with the Cherokees and Creek Indians of the region....the Chickasaw tribes were also nearby.
Both towns came into existence when pioneers moved westward on the American frontier in the early 1800s. The first white settlers arrived at a big spring after traveling on a river.... they found friendly Indian villages and began to trade with them.... the settlements grew as trade began to expand on the river.... the two towns had river landings that became major river ports.
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​Both of the counties, in which the two towns of Tuscumbia were located, were formed from larger counties named Franklin (Miller Co. was once a part of the huge land mass that belonged to Franklin County when Missouri was only a Territory).... Both towns became seats of government when the new counties formed and have remained so over the many years.
The name Tuscumbia means..."Warrior Who Kills" in the Chickasaw language and both towns were named for the Chickasaw Indian chief named Tuscumbia. It was originally spelled 'Taska-Ambi'.
In the area of both towns are streams of water named Bear creek, Little Bear creek, and Dry creek.
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Plat of Tuscumbia, Alabama
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The first settlers in Tuscumbia, Alabama were the family of Michael Dickson. Among Miller County's earliest settlers and merchants was a man named William P. Dixon/Dickson, whom historians say gave Tuscumbia, MO its name. Michael Dickson of Alabama was elected Clerk of the County Court in Franklin Co., AL and served 16 years. Wm. P. Dixon was the Clerk of the County Court and Circuit Court of Miller County, MO for 16 years.
Mt. Pleasant was a trading area of early settlers in the area surrounding Tuscumbia, Alabama and Mt. Pleasant was the hub of activity of early trade in Miller County, Mo with Wm. P. Dixon being a merchant there.
It was on the 6th day of February 1837 that Miller County, MO was formed. On the 6th day of February (1867) Colbert County, AL was formed from Franklin Co., AL. Both towns of Tuscumbia remain county seats of government in their respective counties to this day.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE HISTORY OF THE TWO TUSCUMBIA'S SEEM TO HAVE BEEN CO-WRITTEN FROM THE SAME ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT!!!
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There are some differences in the two towns, as you might expect. Tuscumbia, AL was the site of America's first frontier railroad west of the Appalachian Mountains, called the Tuscumbia Railroad Co. and formed in 1830.
It remained the center of wealth and culture before the Civil War and is one of the oldest towns in Alabama. Tuscumbia, MO never had a railroad through its town, but depended on the river traffic for imports and exports.
Today, both towns have neither their railroad nor river trade in existence.
Tuscumbia, Alabama has a population of approximately 9,000 while Tuscumbia, Missouri's population is less than 500. The Alabama town is the birthplace of Helen Keller, America's "First Lady of Courage" (1880-1968).
​​Heinie Manush, a famous American from the sports world, was also born in Tuscumbia, AL. He was a professional baseball player who is in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, NY.
​​I can't recall any famous Americans hailing from Tuscumbia, MO, but I am sure we feel that our Tuscumbia natives are also special folks!
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Note: In 1991, I corresponded with Frank Ritchey, a teacher of history in the Tuscumbia, Alabama school system. His class was very interested in their "sister city", Tuscumbia, MO. Frank sent me a book called TUSCUMBIA, ALABAMA: AMERICA'S FIRST FRONTIER RAILROAD TOWN. I have donated this fine book to the Miller County Historical Society research library at Tuscumbia. (Peggy Smith Hake)
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Short Synopsis of Tuscumbia, Missouri
by Peggy Smith Hake
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Tuscumbia
50th Anniversary Bagnell Dam, 1981
Tuscumbia was an Indian trading post in the early 1800’s with trappers, explorers and adventurers floating upriver in canoes and flat boats trading with Indians. John and James Proctor Harrison, brothers, built a log trading post on the slough of “Shut In” Branch and called it “Harrison’s Plantation.” Later, Daniel Cummings built merchandising business in the area and Jesse Kendrick opened a saloon. Later Daniel Cummings built the first hotel in the town. In 1837, Miller County became a separate county breaking away from Cole County to the north and Tuscumbia was selected as the seat of justice. J.P. Harrison donated fifty acres of land to the area for the town site and the first terms of court were held in the home of William Miller who lived on a hill at the mouth of Saline Creek. The post office at Tuscumbia was established on December 21, 1837, with James P. Harrison as the first Postmaster. Tuscumbia remains the county seat of Miller County and has had that distinction for 143 years. Her present courthouse was built on the hill overlooking the beautiful Osage River in the early portion of the 20th century. (Note: This narrative was written more than 30 years ago. Since then, the present courthouse, the county’s fourth one, now is located on Highway 52 about a half mile north of the previous one which is still standing, overlooking the Osage River.)
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"Tuscumbia, Missouri" by Kelly Warman-Stallings​
​(Published to "Window to the Past" in January, 2014)
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​​​Tuscumbia is the county seat of Miller County. The present location of the town was donated by J. P. and J. B. Harrison; it was the first town to be surveyed and mapped after Miller County was officially formed in 1837. The location of Tuscumbia​​ had once been an Indian trading village of the Osage tribe; in July of 1837 the name was bestowed upon the town in honor of Tuscumbia, Alabama [its sister city].
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According to L. A. & T. C. Wright (1933)....
"Tuscumbia housed the first post office in the county and it was established in December, 1837. J. P. Harrison was the first postmaster. The Harrison brothers were very enterprising gentlemen of their time who ran a successful mercantile business in the town. They also held public office positions. Other merchants of early Tuscumbia included: Jesse Kendrick, general merchandise stor​​e and saloon; Daniel Cummings, general merchandise store; C. P. Davidson, first ferryman in the county; received permit from the county to run his ferry business in 1837."
Pictured: Tuscumbia Jail - 1840
The following businessmen and women were enumerated in 1879:
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NAME
David Marshall
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I. T. Johnson
W.C. Brumley
S. H. Curry
John Kallenbach
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E. C. Swalem
Jacob Gantt
NAME
Mrs. J. P. Wright​
Charles H. Clarke
R. VerBryck
I. M. Goodrich
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Augusta Folsom
OCCUPATION
Conveyancer
Postmaster/Notary Public
General Store &
Saloon
Miller
Blacksmith/Wagonmaker
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Attorneys of Law
OCCUPATION
Milliner
Ferryman
Home Hotel Mgr.
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Land Agent
Notary Public
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Dry Goods
Grocery Store
The following people were operating businesses in 1889:
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NAME
F. W. Fendorf
Ludwell Bacon
John Weitz
John Kallenbach
Mrs. J. Bell
B. F. Lawson
Page Thompson
Mrs. E. A. Freeman
I. T. Johnson
John W. Fogelman
George Bacon
OCCUPATION
Doctor
Doctor
Handler of Drugs
Attorneys
of
Law
Saddler
Milliner
Tie Contractors
Photographer
Lumberyard
Barber
Millers
NAME
S. W. Ewell
J. B. McGee
E. C. McEntire
B. Robinson
C. Swalem
L. N. Musser
H. W. Carter
Carrie Wright
Simpson & Co.
Charles Fulkerson
P. F. Hauenstein
I. N. Reed
W. H. Hauenstein
R. M. Marshall
OCCUPATION
Postmaster
Home Hotel Mgr.
Blacksmith/
Wagonmaker
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Kentucky House (Hotel Mgr.)
Grocery Store
Shoe Cobbler
City Hotel Mgr.
Ferryman/Handler of Drugs
Livery Barn
Mail/Passenger Hack Line
.......
Pictured above: Part of Main Street. Large building – Tom Robinson’s store later Haynes Bros. Frank Fendorf and others owned it. White building on the left is Hauenstein’s Store. Old open shed dimly seen by it, across the street is Sam Johnson’s store. Those smaller buildings washed away by flooding Osage River about 1900. George Swanson, postmaster is in the foreground.
In 1933, L.A. & T. C. Wright wrote:
"​​During the last few years the following improvements have materialized in the Tuscumbia community: State highways 17 and 52; farm-to-market road E; free steel bridge built by state across the Osage River; electric power line; brick high school building built at a cost of $20,000; regular truck service to St. Louis; a considerable fishing and tourist business, in large part the result of the building of the Bagnell Dam across the Osage River in the west part of the county; Riverside Park with $2000 worth of permanent buildings; several substantial homes; $1000 worth of fencing at cemetery; much better care of the cemetery than in former years; jail built by Miller County at a cost of $15,000; county home for destitute built by the county at a cost of $25,000; improved local and long distance telephone service, the system being owned by the Oazrk Central Telephone Company."
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Aerial view of Tuscumbia during the flood of 1973
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Being located along the mighty Osage River, the town of Tuscumbia has seen it's fair share of flooding, but this oldest settlement in Miller County, which has been in continual existence for 185 years (in 2022), has always rose from these inundated disasters and continued to serve it's residents faithfully.
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