Misc. Points of Interest

Incorporations

Danville has been twice incorporated, first as a town by the Missouri State legislature, after which its affairs were governed by a mayor and four councilmen until its incorporation as a city of the fourth class, in April 1878. The first officers under the new incorporation were W.D. Bush, mayor; D.B. Huddleston, S.M. Baker, E.M. Hugh and John Barker, councilmen; H. Potts, clerk; Thos. M. Johnson, marshal; John M. Barker, street commissioner.

Masonic Lodge

On October 16, 1842, under a charter issued from the Masonic Grand Lodge of Missouri, the lodge was organized under the name of Danville Lodge No. 72. The dispensation was issued from Troy Lodge, Lincoln County. The lodge held its first meetings in a room in the Danville courthouse, and then in Stewart & Robinsons brick building. Until October 14, 1864, the lodge prospered and worked harmoniously. Then the Bill Anderson raid was made, and the lodge room and all the records, books and papers were destroyed. The charter members of the first organization were: David Rice, Jas. H. Robinson, John Scott, D.W. Baker, S.M. Baker and A.O. Forshey. Of the first officers, John Scott was Master and S.M. Baker, Tyler. There were perhaps, 50 or 60 members when the lodge was strongest. May 26, 1865, charter No. 72 was reissued and the lodge authorized to proceed as if no interruption had occurred. The reason for the charter being reissued was due to the fact that the charter had been forfeited, due to the lodge's failure to hold regular meetings for a period of twelve consecutive months. The interruption happened because the lodge and all of its contents and records were lost in the raid by "Bloody" Bill Anderson; the Secretary Mr. Samuel J. Moore lost his life on the same day. In reissuing the new charter, the Grand lodge appointed Jas. H. Robinson, master and Ira H. Ellis & Wm. D. Bush, wardens. The first meeting under the new charter was held July 11, 1865, and the following officers elected: A.C. Stewart, master; W.D. Bush and R.B. McIlhany, wardens; J.W. McDaniel, treasurer; L.A. Thompson, secretary. The Lodge continued to meet until April of 1892, when it consolidated with New Florence Lodge #261, at nearby New Florence, Missouri.

Churches of Danville

Danville was long noted as a Methodist center, no other denomination, that I have found, has ever had a place of worship in the town.

The first organized congregation was assembled soon after the town was founded. Rev. Andrew Monroe a citizen of the town first organized the M.E. Church in 1836, it is not clear where they met. Rev. Monroe was the presiding elder over the district reached from the Missouri River to Glasgow Missouri, which included Danville.

The first members of the church are as follows: Mr. and Mrs. Charles Drury, Mr. and Mrs. Captain John Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Ira Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wiseman, and Mr. and Mrs. James Robinson.

Those who served the church were Rev. Andrew Monroe, Dr. Richard Bond, W.W. Redman, W.A. McNeily, Wesley Miller, L.T. McNeily, George Penn, George Smith, J.O. Edmonson and W.F. Bell.

Construction was completed on the first Methodist church in 1848 and was made of brick. It was built near the Courthouse Square facing Locust Street (present-day highway 161). BISHOP E.M. MARVIN dedicated this new structure in 1850 and Captain John Baker donated a Church Bell. This church served the town for many years and even housed soldiers during the civil war. This building was torn down in the early 20^th century; the exact date is unknown at this time.

After the Danville Female Academy closed in 1865, the chapel building was also used as a Methodist church for many years; it still stands in the south part of town. It was used into the 20^th century; my grandmother went to church there when she was young. The date of its closing is still unknown to me. I have many pictures of this structure in my photo gallery.

Newspapers of Danville

Danville is said to have had some of the best newspapers printed in the county. William C. Lovelace who had moved the Montgomery City Journal office to Danville, the publication was called The Chonicle established the first paper in 1860. In the winter of 1861, the name was changed to the Danville Herald and Dan M. Draper was editor, this publication ran until the October 14^th, 1864 raid by "Bloody" Bill Anderson. In 1867 Dan M. Draper established the Danville Star, a radical republican paper, he continued for about two and half years and then sold out to J.B. Ellis of the Montgomery Standard. Col. L.A. Thompson established the Danville Ray on December 7th, 1871. He published the paper for five years and then moved it to Montgomery City.

A copy of one or part of one of these papers is like the Holy Grail of my research into Danville history, but I am sure that all copies have long since disappeared from existence.