Mother has some serious eagle eyes. She can spot a tiny cemetery on the side of the road faster than Curator Jessica. On the way back from interviewing Bishop Armour in Hayti for my New Madrid baptism project, Mother pointed out some tombstones alongside the road mixed in with some strip malls and commercial buildings. It was worth a U-turn.
Dr. Granville M. Hayes 1827 – 1899
A tall stone dominates the tiny Hayes Cemetery. It says, Through the foresight and generosity of this early settler from Kentucky, the Hayes family farm was transformed into what is now the City of Hayti. Dr. Hayes generously donated all the land now designated as our streets. He gave one city block to Pemiscot County for a Courthouse and another block was given to the people of Hayti for a school. Portions of two other blocks were given for a jail and a calaboose. It is estimated that Dr. Hayes donated 75% of his original farm to the people of Hayti. It was his dream to have a town with a city square with “Lights and squirrels just like Memphis.” Dr. Hayes died at a medical convention in Chicago and was brought back home by train and buried in this cemetery, but there was no monument erected at his grave. This monument is erected to honor Dr. Granville Hayes, Hayti’s namesake and founder and to commemorate the centennial of Hayti. Erected 1995.
History is like a bumper sticker
I was talking with Dr. Lily Santoro about doing a presentation for her SEMO historical preservation class. I hope I can get across to the students that historical markers are like bumper stickers: they are a quick read, but they may not tell the whole story.
When I searched for Dr. Hayes, not a lot popped up, but what did was fascinating.
At the time the Hayes and their daughters donated the land, the Pemiscot county seat was located at Gayso, several miles to the east. Louis Houck (remember him) and J.E. Franklin were promoting a railroad from Caruthersville to Kennett. They reached an agreement that they would run this road through the Hayes land if they would lay out a town on it and deed every alternate lot to Houck and Franklin. Block 29 was dedicated to be used for a courthouse and the other stuff mentioned on the memorial.
Then, partially because of a conflict between the “wets” and the “drys, Caruthersville, not Gayso City / Hayti was made the county seat. The June 9, 1910, Hayti Herald bannered a headline, “Likened Unto An Octopus – Caruthersville Has Waxed Fat at the Expense of the County Which Like a Lamb, Lies Dumb Before Its Sharers.” [Editor’s note: I wonder if the paper meant “shearers?”] Anyway, you don’t get to read many stories today where the word “Judas” is used twice on the front page. They, obviously, weren’t happy at the way things worked out. If you like the days when newspapers had real fire in them, check out this link.
Now it gets REALLY confusing
Here’s where it REALLY got confusing. Since Block 29 wasn’t used for a courthouse, there was a bunch of wrangling over who should get the land. The matter hadn’t been decided when The Hayti Herald weighed in again on January 26, 1911. It did a pretty good job of summarizing the issues, but this nice turn of phrase jumped out: “So the county has itself no power to act in the matter, even in a thousand years or a million years or when Gabriel blows his horn, except to use the property for courthouse purposes, for the reason that every lot that has ever been sold in the City of Hayti have been sold with reference to this plat.”
Supreme Court Judgement
I’m not even going to try to interpret the twists and turns of Williams et al. v. City of Hayti (No. 17705) as reported in the Southwestern Reporter, Volume 184. You can read the Missouri Supreme Court Rehearing Denied March 30, 1916, report for yourself. I made a wise decision to go into photography and not law way back in high school. Taking pictures doesn’t make my head hurt.
Dr. Granville didn’t get Hayti made into the county seat and he didn’t get his courthouse. Now that I know what to look for, I’ll have to see if he got “a city square with ‘Lights and squirrels just like Memphis.’”
Fascinating! I don’t know if I am more drawn to the story of Mr. Hayes and his largesse, the politics behind the scene…..or the grammar and syntax used by the editor to report it!
Like I said, history is rarely clean. And, it’s hardly ever taught in class. I wonder if the kids who go to school there have any idea how their town came to be where it is (and that it was almost called Gayso City).
Ken, I find this especially interesting….didn’t know all test about Hayti. My Uncle was a Dr. in Hayti in the 40’s and early 50’s … Jacob Masters. Visited there many times as a child. His son Dr. Andrew Masters was a Dr. In Advance for years….don’t remember how long in the late 50’s and early 60’s. Many people thought Andrew was Dr. E.C. Masters’ but not so. E.C. was a relative to Andrew and yours truly but more like a fourth cousin. E.C. and others had a great influence on Advance’ history. Andrew and I are first cousins. His father and my mother are brother and sister.
Andrew became disabled somewhat and ended up in Texas as physician at the state prison. I understand he did the injections for those sentenced to death.
E.C.did have a son..Dr. Edwin Masters with a practice in Sikeston. He passed away in June of 2009. He did a lot research on Lyme Disease.
This is most likely much more info than you care to read.
Mary, don’t worry about long comments. You readers generally know a lot more about my subjects than I do. I like for you to fill in the blanks.
Do an article on Hayti Negro School. Name was changed to Hayti Central High School. Rush Lambaugh Granddad was on the board from Cape Giradeau when the school was rename I believe. Also Hayti had one hanging back in the day. The person name was Sikes.
Jessie Huffman Class of 66 Hayti Central High School Eddie J Dickens and Mrs Keyes Class Sponsors
Thanks for the information. I’m working on documenting The Bootheel for the next few months.
What? Rush Limbaugh ‘s grand pappy. Six degrees of separation. My mom and uncles were born in Hayti, Missouri.
My name is Lesle Gaulding, my daddy is Robert Gaulding and my grandparents were the late Max and Catherine Gaulding. They owned the Gaulding Dairy Serve. We had so much fun growing up and visiting Hayti. The Square was the place to be when I was young. Wish I still had photos.
I remember Gauldings and Mr Gauldings
Mary Francois, I believe EC masters delivered me in advance clinic in 1956. A D.O. I believe. Ken , it’s interesting how hayti got its name. I had no idea. Just figured it got Americanized from the French version in the Caribbean. I knew it was different but never thought about it
My grandfather was born in Hayti. His middle name was Hough. Plus my great grandma (his mother) was also born in Hayti. Found an obituary today with a name Ardie which I think is the doctors wife. Will update more.
Does Hayti have any connection to Jaoti??!
The town was named for Dr. Hayes, its founder, so far as I know.
I am writing a book. Hayti will have surmountable residence within this book. I was born there in the 1970’s. Definitely, need to more about the history of Hayti pronounced Haiti.
Most of us Swampeast Missourians call it Hay-Tie, not Haiti. We may not be correct, but we also pronounce Cairo and Arab differently than you might think.
Dr. Hayes was my wife’s 3rd great grandfather. Winona Wilson daughter of John W Wilson jr.
Dr. Hayes was the brother to my 3rd Great Grandfather, Isaac Hayes. I still have a family heirloom bayonet that was given to my great grand father by Isaac.
I grew up and lived in Hayti. I was one of the black children that intergrated Mathis Elementary in 1967 or68. Where can I find info about blacks at Mathis during that time? I’m also interested in getting more info about a family member: Miss Martha Turner. She was a well established black woman in Hayti.