Lingo, Missouri
Encyclopedia
Lingo is a community in Macon County, Missouri
, 20 miles (32.2 km) west of the city of Macon
. The village was named for an early settler, Samuel Sanders Lingo, who was born August 9, 1805 in South Carolina
, and was a prominent figure as county judge
in Macon County for 25 years.
Located between Brush Creek and the Mussel Fork of the Chariton River
, Lingo was originally known as "Peabody's Woodyard", for a Colonel Peabody who stacked wood there for sale to the railroad. The community's historical association with coal mining
began in 1873, after the discovery of low-grade coal in the local area. Two brothers who were employees of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad
, George and Thomas Jobson, started the first coal mining operation. Miners from Bohemia
in Europe
were hired to mine the coal, as they were accustomed to this type of mining. This brought the population of the town to between approximately 1,500 and 2,000 at one time.
In 1892, the town was sold to Armour and Company
, a meat processing company still around today. During the course of this ownership, a strike was started in the company. All the houses in the town were painted yellow to show the support of the strike. As coal was no longer a main source of power due to people going more to oil burning engines, the mine was closed. Many of the houses were moved to other towns with their owners. The depot was moved by the railroad to another town.
In 1973, the town celebrated its 100th anniversary. A weekend of gatherings were held, and the news of it even made it to the Kansas City
papers. Today, remains of the mine can still be seen as you cross the tracks. There are only about 15 to 20 people remaining, but many of the mailboxes still tell of the Bohemian ancestry. Out of the twenty or so streets that were in the 19th century, only two of the original remain (Main and Lewis).
Macon County, Missouri
Macon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2010, the population was 15,566. Its county seat is Macon. The county was organized in 1837 and named for Nathaniel Macon, a North Carolina politician...
, 20 miles (32.2 km) west of the city of Macon
Macon, Missouri
Macon is a city in Macon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,471 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Macon County.-Geography:Macon is located at...
. The village was named for an early settler, Samuel Sanders Lingo, who was born August 9, 1805 in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, and was a prominent figure as county judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
in Macon County for 25 years.
Located between Brush Creek and the Mussel Fork of the Chariton River
Chariton River
The Chariton River is a tributary to the Missouri River in southeast Iowa and northeast Missouri.It has been called Missouri's "Grand Divide" because streams west of the Chariton flow into the Missouri and streams east of it flow into the Mississippi River....
, Lingo was originally known as "Peabody's Woodyard", for a Colonel Peabody who stacked wood there for sale to the railroad. The community's historical association with coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
began in 1873, after the discovery of low-grade coal in the local area. Two brothers who were employees of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad
Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad
The Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad was the first railroad to cross Missouri starting in Hannibal in the northeast and going to St. Joseph, Missouri, in the northwest...
, George and Thomas Jobson, started the first coal mining operation. Miners from Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
were hired to mine the coal, as they were accustomed to this type of mining. This brought the population of the town to between approximately 1,500 and 2,000 at one time.
In 1892, the town was sold to Armour and Company
Armour and Company
Armour & Company was an American slaughterhouse and meatpacking company founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1867 by the Armour brothers, led by Philip Danforth Armour. By 1880, the company was Chicago's most important business and helped make the city and its Union Stock Yards the center of the...
, a meat processing company still around today. During the course of this ownership, a strike was started in the company. All the houses in the town were painted yellow to show the support of the strike. As coal was no longer a main source of power due to people going more to oil burning engines, the mine was closed. Many of the houses were moved to other towns with their owners. The depot was moved by the railroad to another town.
In 1973, the town celebrated its 100th anniversary. A weekend of gatherings were held, and the news of it even made it to the Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
papers. Today, remains of the mine can still be seen as you cross the tracks. There are only about 15 to 20 people remaining, but many of the mailboxes still tell of the Bohemian ancestry. Out of the twenty or so streets that were in the 19th century, only two of the original remain (Main and Lewis).