Looking Back: Our Town –The first two years

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
 
For the next few weeks this column will look at Grain Valley by the decades. But let us first consider 1878 & 1879 and review what we already know about our town.
 
Before the end of the 1870s the railroad built the first depot just east of Main Street. And across Main Street and just south of the tracks, J. H. Cannon had built a general store. (Grain Valley News, January 18, 2025)

The 1880, United States Census list 80 individuals living in the “village of Grain Valley.”

They occupied 13 homes; dwelling number 147 through 159, although I didn’t find the number 156 on the census.  

In 1881, Grain Valley published a directory which included three doctors; Dr. Keener, Dr. Daniels and Dr. Starnes, but the 1880 census listed druggist as the occupation of George Keener and James Daniels. Dr. J. W. Starnes was not on the census. It would make you wonder exactly what credentials were required to be a “Doctor?”  

Of the 80 residents, 8 lived in the Hawkenberry Boarding House and 9 lived in the Keener Boarding House. The Keener home must have been quite large to accommodate George, his wife, their 8 children and 9 boarders, nearly ¼ of the entire population. Was it located near the railroad? The occupations of the boarders were listed as cook, telegraph operator, and 7 were railroad workers. The 8 boarders at the Hawkenberry’s included Dr. Daniels, Mr. Paden, the school teacher, his wife and daughter, and 5 men listed as bridge builders. Don’t you wonder which bridge they might have built? Was the bridge over the railroad or was it over Sni-A-Bar Creek? I’m sure we’ll never know.

That only leaves about 40 people that rounded out the population in 1880. They were the Spindles (he was a blacksmith), the Graves (he was a dry goods merchant) the Wrights (he was a carpenter), the Grahams (he was a day laborer), the Keshlears (he was a liveryman), the Bohns (he was a retired merchant), and the Reyburns (he was a carpenter). Of course, the Cannon General Store was just across the railroad tracks, but the Cannons didn’t live “in town.” 

Next week we’ll take a look at the directory and find out about Grain Valley in the 1880s.
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Grain Valley's first depot. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society