Looking Back: Grain Valley, original town

A few more hours at the Recorder of Deeds Office in the Jackson County Courthouse and I am able to tell you a bit more history about some of the businesses in our town. Although more businesses currently exist on the west side of Main Street, the “original town” was on the east side.
 
Some readers may recall seeing this map of the original 4 acres which appeared in the Looking Back column of Valley News on July 23, 2020. As you can see, when the town received the land from Mr. Lucas, those four acres were divided into 38 separate parcels. Lots 1 through 18 were on the south side of the railroad and lots 19 through 38 were on the north side.  They stretched from 1st Street on the North (now Walnut) to the edge of town (there was no street on the south end) and included Main Street and Cypress with a 10-foot alley in between.

The first owners of these lots would have been the early settlers, and many of the names were earlier associated with both Stony Point and Pink Hill –Bishop, Browne, Harris, George, Spindle, Hulse, Bohn, Cannon, Wood, Keshler, Keener, J. F. Gregg, Elisha Moore, E. J. Williams, Dean, and D. M. Majors. A few put buildings on their lots, but many like James Lucas were land speculators and soon sold their lots to individuals who would put a business in our town.

Lots 1 & 2 were sold to J. N. Daniel, a doctor who established his practice in Grain Valley for several years. August and John Heidelberger both purchased multiple lots, although there is no record of them ever owning a business. In 1944, Ray Frantz purchased lots 1 through 8 and built his home and business there. It may be important to note that each lot (1-8) was only 22 ½ feet wide and 115 feet deep. Thus, multiple lots were required for almost anything that would be built. At some point prior to 1904, Harris Street was established south of Lots 8 and 9. 1904 was when Mabel (Harris) Peal was born to Charles and Lula Harris (great-great grandparents of current Mayor Mike Todd).

Lots 9 through 12 were owned for many years by the Rosa Stillwell. In the 1950s Elwood Elliott and later Eura Bush had a house at the end of Harris Street. Lots 13 through 18 were owned  by 9 individuals before being purchased by the Grain Valley Lumber Co. in 1913. From the 1940s until the mid-1960s Floyd Sharp had a lumber yard there. Today, that would be the car wash!
 
Next week learn about the businesses north of the railroad tracks, part of the Downtown Grain Valley revitalization/Missouri Main Street project. Visit the Historical Society to view the records of all of the owners of the original town and the Graves and Ashcroft addition (west side of Main Street)  from 1878 through 1975.