William Jordan Pollard Papers & Estate
Mary C Pollard Trust Papers

William Jordan Pollard (1829 - 1902; married 1861) came to Jasper County c.1870 and settled on a farm near Oronogo but moved to town c.1880 becoming involved with E P Lampkin (formerly of Rich Hill, MO) in the dry goods business operated in the first Pollard Building at the northwest corner of South Main Street and Second Street (now numbered 135-141 S Main). The Pollard Building was comprised of several storefronts and offices/apartments on the second floor and was built in the early 1880s.

Over the course of W J Pollard's life, he was a teacher, school administrator, farmer, sheriff, justice of the peace, member of the 13th Missouri General Assembly (1879), and as given in the Carthage City Directories of 1888 and 1895 respectively, "retired," "owner of the Pollard Blocks." It is believed that the Pollards, who did not have children, maintained their residence in the first Pollard Building in one of the upstairs apartment/suites.

Later Pollard built another building consisting of two storefronts in the 300 block of South Main (now numbered 311-317 S Main) which were joined together at the turn-of-the-century and became the long-time location of the Ramsay Brothers' Dry Goods Store (later Department Store).

After the death of her husband, Mary Louise Porter Pollard (1842 - 1929) lived in an apartment at the first Pollard Building. She traveled and was active in a variety of women's clubs and church/charity work. At her death, bequests were given to McCune-Brooks Hospital, Ozark Wesleyan College of Carthage and Central Methodist College in Fayette, MO; however, these bequests are not confirmed as there was a substantial list of family members noted in the will that were to be paid first. (Further research should be undertaken to find out if these local bequests were made.) Bequests given during her lifetime included a library at Central Methodist College, Scaritt Bible Training School in Nashville, TN; Salem Church & Cemetery in Pettis County; Central College for Women in Lexington, MO; YWCA & YMCA organizations; and to missionaries in Mexico and California. In 1905, she paid off the mortgage of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at 10th and Main Streets although she was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

While data entry into Past Perfect was not accomplished on this collection during the run of the MHRAB grant project, the materials have been organized for processing and include:

Real Estate Documents (deeds, abstracts, misc related papers)
Rental Leases & Maintenance Documents for Pollard Buildings I & II
Insurance Policies
William Jordan Pollard Estate Papers & Burial Expenses
Jasper County Real Estate Tax Bills, 1874 - 1922/23
Carthage Real Estate Tax Bills, 1874 - 1922/23
Special Tax Bills
Carthage Business Invoices, 1902 - 1922/23

Microfilmed: No

Tentative Subjects:
Carthage, MO
A L Anchors
Bank of Carthage
Black & Chase Insurance & Real Estate
Carthage Creamery Co
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
El Paso, TX
J L Halliburton
Iola, KS
Robert Lanyon & Co Spelter
Samuel McReynolds
Missouri-Kansas Mausoleum Co
Mountain Grove Creamery Co
Pittsburg, KS
Pollard Building I
Pollard Building II
Mary Porter Pollard
William Jordan Pollard
Oak Crest Abbey
Ozark Wesleyan College
Ramsay Brothers' Dry Goods Co

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