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Cassaday Block (no longer standing), 120 East Fourth Street

Introduction

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Once a three-story brick and decorated press metal front building, the Cassaday structure served the community in many ways. The first floor storefronts during the 1880s to the early decade of the 20th century housed various stores such as Kurtzeborn and Marker, Palace Dry Goods and the Campbell-Wright Mercantile Company. The second and third floors housed several business schools including the Carthage Business College, professional offices and medical institutions such as the Mattenlee Sanitarium.


Images

  • Campbell and Wright Mercantile Company, the largest of the various department store to occupied this site was housed on several floors. Image is c.1900.
  • The Cassaday Block's upper floors were used at various times for educational and medical purposes. In the 1890s the Carthage Business College occupied the second floor. This image is from 1890.
  • 1890 Graduation certificate from Carthage Business College as displayed in the 175th Anniversary of Carthage Exhibit at Powers Museum in 2017. Certificate was awarded to J. H. Barratt by W. Worsdell, Proprietor of the college.
  • Delphus Theatre entrance on first floor of Cassaday Building. Ulrick Williams is at ticket booth along with George Williams' arrowhead collection. Both were sons of I.P. Williams, theater owner. Former exhibit Powers Museum exhibit mount is undated.
  • Digitization on CLIO is part of Powers Museum's "Digital Carthage" project in honor of Carthage's 175th Anniversary Celebration (March 28, 2017 through March 27, 2018).
  • Funding for the Walking in the Wards tour was made possible by a grant from the Missouri Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Spring 2017.

Backstory and Context

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Like many other multi-storied buildings in Carthage, the third floor of this structure was removed in the 20th century and the entire front front of the building was remodeled with dark red brick similar to Pollard Building #2 and Center Building on South Main (see Clio entries for each). The first floor was occupied by small storefronts and the entrance to the Delphus Theatre, later renamed the Roxy theatre. Both the Delphus and the Roxy were movie houses. Local Ragtime composers Clarence Woods and James Scott, Jr. both were known to play "the keyboard at the Delphus, providing background for the earliest silent films while both were teenagers (1)." (See Clio entries Lincoln School #1 for further information on Scott). The building was destroyed by fire in the 1970s

The Mattenlee Sanitarium, operated by Dr. J M Mattenlee at the turn of the twentieth century, treated "alcohol, opium, morphine, and tobacco addictions (2)." Patients boarded in a home located at 1133 South Main Street.

Sources

Hansford, Michele Newton. Images of America: Carthage Missouri. Charleston SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2000, pg. 105 (1).

Vandergriff, Sue. Then and Now. Carthage MO: author, 2003.

VanGilder, Marvin. "Rhedi strikes chord of memory." Carthage Press, June 20, 1991, no page given. (2)

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Cassaday Building Photograph; former Powers Museum exhibit image, part of 2017's Carthage 175th Anniversary Exhibit. Orginally published in Southwest Developer magazine, February 1900.

Original Carthage Business College Photograph, c 1895-1900, loaned to Powers Museum; Artifact of Month display within 2017's 175th Carthage Anniversary Exhibit.

1890 Graduation certificate from Carthage Business College, loaned to Powers Museum; Artifact of Month display within 2017's 175th Carthage Anniversary Exhibit.

Delphus Theatre entrance photograph; former Powers Museum exhibit image, part of 2017's Carthage 175th Anniversary Exhibit. Originally published in source of quote #2 above and used with permission.

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