Even though I never knew Emma Beauvais Thomas Grumley, I feel a deep connection to her. This is due mainly to having been allowed access to so many of her very personal images and documents by her great-great granddaughter, Chrissie Hayes McConnell.
I have lost count of how many posts have come out of this treasure trove of Maplewood history. Indeed, they are still coming out. Soon I will publish the twelfth post of just a part of Emma’s collection…a couple hundred early images of friends and family most of whom are not identified. All of which I scanned and have presented or will present to the followers of this space.
Quite a while ago I published an invitation to an 1894 Domino Party and an 1896 dance card of hers. Both took place at Benton Hall. The address was given as at the corner of Prather Avenue and Manchester Road. That intersection is just a few blocks from our eastern city limit. Sadly there’s nothing there today that would provide evidence of what Benton Hall might once have looked like.
The name Benton Hall was undoubtedly chosen due to the Hall’s close proximity to Benton Station. Heading west, Benton Station on the Pacific Railroad was the stop just before Ellendale at what is today Southwest and McCausland. Next stop would have been the Maplewood Depot at Greenwood and Commonwealth.
I would love to find a photograph of Benton Station and one of Benton Hall as well. There was a small stone building in existence some years back that I suspected may have once been Benton Station. It was located behind the Walgreens Drugstore at the corner of Manchester and McCausland. Unfortunately, it was erased by the expansion of the church just south of there.
Still this stuck in my mind until late one evening the stars must have been in alignment. Look what happened.
All of this was just to reacquaint you with this material that I had previously posted. Emma is a main character in my historical examination of our past. It is just great to have these images of her. What follows are the new discoveries concerning Benton Hall.
With the drawing, it is easy to imagine how the real building must have appeared. A fine building it was, too. So why don’t we have it any longer? Read on.
If Emma had not tucked away those two pieces of ephemera, it is likely that not one of us would have ever heard of Benton Hall.
Oh yeah, about that $100 that Mr. Redheffer (there’s a name for you) presented to Mr. Little for supervising the construction of the hall, today, it would be worth $3,142.49.
Atmospheric bliss occurs for me when the temperature is from 80 to 95 degrees. I like it most when that annoying coolness is gone. To everyone around me that have lately been complaining, I say this. You had yours. Now it’s our turn.
Doug Houser May 14, 2022
Good morning Doug, Hey you stepped over the border into my old territory, Dogtown. I never knew that was there and passed the information on to Bob Corbett who is Dogtown’s historian. Previously I may have mentioned to you that it may be of interest to look into Emma Beauvais Grumley’s connection to the Beauvais family in St. Louis. The Beauvais mansion still sits on Magnolia and Grand, built in the early 1800’s, it was the home of a French silversmith, a wealthy and well connected family here. After the Civil War (Can there really be such a thing as a civil war?) it became a home for Civil War veterans, and amazingly progressive, their spouses. It’s neat to tour through the old place, it is completely open to the public at no cost.
This is true, Gary. The border between Dogtown and Maplewood is invisible in many ways. I’ll have to get the contact information you have for Bob Corbett. I met him at least once many years ago when he gave a walking tour of his neighborhood. I remember seeing his historic brick collection. I hope he is still doing well.
You have mentioned the Beauvais mansion in the past but I’m glad you remind us of it. I intend to visit. Hopefully very soon. I haven’t learned if the Thomas family had a connection to Rene Beauvais. It seems like they must have to have given Emma that middle name. Perhaps one of my readers proficient at discovering information of that sort will take this as a challenge? Thanks for your comments.
I would like to know what happened to Fred, as he commanded a large portion of her dance card, and he does not seem to be the gentleman she married, poor Fred. When I was a young girl I remember my mother telling me, always dance with the man who brought you. I guess Fred must have brought her. I love this post Doug, what great human interest. Currently that spot is a used car lot, I hate that we lost such a great piece of history. You’re the best for sharing this golden nugget with us.
Mary, I guess we’ll never know what became of poor Fred. He certainly seemed to be doing all right on that particular evening, May 1, 1896. But then a couple of years later on May 27, 1898, we can pinpoint her with a companion, H.J. Sturgis of Neosho at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. H.J. apparently fared no better than Fred for she married William Grumley just a couple of years later. She never dreamed we’d be having this discussion over 120 years later. Amazing!
Wow indeed, Doug – what wonderful treasures to find these pieces of historical information! You are truly a history detective! Thanks so much for sharing. It hurts to think of all that went into the building of Benton Hall (such a lovely building) which provided a multitude of uses, and then to have it destroyed such a short time later, right before the big world’s fair.
That’s a good point, Sharon or Gary. No doubt the owner was looking forward to benefiting from the World’s Fair. The location would have been perfect. It hurts to know what a very fine building it was to have been completely lost. And $15,000 for the total cost of construction just doesn’t seem possible.
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