Jasper-Taney County MO Archives News..... COOLBROOK January 13, 2009 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mo/mofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Bill BOGGESS billbogges@webtv.net January 14, 2009, 7:01 am Http://community.webtv.net/billboggess2/COOLBROOK January 13, 2009      COOLBROOK          Jasper County Missouri      "Coolbrook" was the family's country summer retreat conceived early in the twentieth century, built by Kate (1876ENG-1928MO) and Sam Boggess (1874WV-1946MN) for their family's enjoyment, located some eight miles east from Carthage in Jasper county, Missouri snuggled into the abutting hills of Spring river's left bank at first sub-valley beyond second old Missouri Pacific railroad crossing.    For some reason Dad & Mom most always drove out Chestnut street to "Coolbrook" , I guess so we all could enjoy the beautifully colored landscape with its spring wild flowers blooming in the pastures, such as Indian Paint Brushes, and flowering Dogwood and Redbud trees in bloom along the dusty gravel county road. During bird migration season, thousands of geese and ducks would be grounded with iced wings on the farm fields of Spring river's flood plain near "Coolbrook" so would feed and rest.    There was a spring flowing cool fresh water from a cave whose exposed overburden rock ledges broke off and blocked its entrance. When cleared and entrance gained, some skulls were found, thought to be Osage Indian. This was also home for bats, snakes, spiders and other mother-nature's critters.    The cave's spring filled Lake Coolbrook, then flowed under county road, across Mr Roper's farm land, under the Missouri Pacific railroad tracks into Spring river.    A tall dam was built across the small valley forming Lake Coolbrook, a small swimming and boating lake, with a cooling room built downside of dam as support, cooled by cave waters flowing over and through it, keeping the inside temperature suitable for food storage.    COOLBROOK's name was first uttered by Kate as she lounged on a cot, which grandfather set up for her, in the babbling rocky brook waters under shade of huge Oak trees with Dogwood, Redbud and other dainty flowering trees scattered about the hillsides, with cool water originating from a cave not far up the hill, ~ ~ this, her favorite spot to relax on a hot summer afternoon, uttering ~ ~ what a nice 'cool brook'.    Also built was a foot bridge some distance below the dam, near rear of the main house's lot, across to a small screened cottage near the brook and Knightwood, a large two story house on the right bank hillside with its huge fireplace and solid lead mantel, plus, a nice screened porch overlooking the valley, lake and brook below. Even had a separate playhouse for Edith's younger days.    Later two, two bedroom log cottages were built using stilts along left hillside, with large screened porches overlooking the lake and its white sandy beach, for sons Luke (1899MO-1974MO) and S C Jr (1911MO-1994FL). A gravelled drive was built up to the lake and two cottages from the county's road.    Its doubtful grandfather built the large farm home on the county gravel road at entrance, where as I recall, was later occupied by a Carthage jeweler, I (?) think, with two older children.    Mr Roper lived in his farm house on right bank of brook at entrance, across the gravel county road was his barn where his large black snakes kept rats at bay (he would tell us to NOT kill his snakes), it on the river's flood plain which he farmed. He allowed Hobos to sleep in his barn, provided they didn't bother his snakes    My mother, Frances Elizabeth Flora (1898MO-1928MO) and father, Luke J Boggess enjoyed a honeymoon at Coolbrook following their 28 August 1921 Colorado Springs wedding http://files.usgwarchives.org/mo/jasper/vitals/marriages/flora2mr.txt ~ ~ before going to their first home in Kansas City.    Following mother's 2 April 1928 morning death from meningitis-streptococcus, with grandmother Kate having died fourteen hours earlier during evening of 1 April, http://files.usgwarchives.org/mo/jasper/obits/b/boggess5ob.txt , ~ ~ dad, Luke, moved back to Carthage, remarried in 1932. We spent a summer month or so at his cottage, where I reluctantly (later glad) was forced to learn to swim in the lake when he came home in the late afternoon from work. We kids hunted "crawdads" (crayfish) from under rocks in the rocky brook bed, explored the cave and hillsides, swam in the cool lake water sometimes wondered across Mr Roper's farm field, across the railroad tracks to Spring River, converting its steep banks into a mud slide, swimming in the refreshingly warmer waters of its pools, rarely fishing its waters but hunting bull frogs from time to time.    "Coolbrook" was enjoyed by others, a young Richard Marlin Perkins (1905MO-1986MO) www.stlzoo.org/home/history/marlinperkins.htm , with his statue in Carthage's shady Central Park, once a graveyard and where later existed a wadding pool, converted to a large fish pond with fountain www.powersmuseum.com/exhibits/pastexhibits/perkins_week.html ~~ for his hobby of snake hunting, he later attended Wentworth Military Academy keeping his snakes in his room, on to University of Missouri then later became the renowned director of St Louis, Buffalo, and Chicago zoos and of long running television shows Zoo Parade then Wild Kingdom (1963-1971), for Mutual of Omaha. Later, Jimmy Wilson, friend of brother Jack (1924NE-2001OR) also sought snakes for his collection and found arrow heads on the grounds, no doubt Osage Indian's, whose men were six to seven foot tall, moved west before settlement was allowed in area.    Grandfather, being heavily involved with the Young Men Christian Association, allowed summer camp to be held at "Camp Coolbrook" several years during the 1920s until he and others arranged for the state camp grounds at Hollister, Taney county, Missouri to be purchased.    Aunt Edith brought her Girl Scout Troop out for camping in the wild country hillside and to canoe and swim in Lake Coolbrook.    Following WW II, in the late 1940s and during the 1950's my step sister, Margaret Busboom (1924NE-1992MO) with husband Joe Miller, renovated the large two story house, known as Knightwood, then owned by Aunt Edith (Boggess) Hough (1906MO-1996MD), building a driveway up to it, enjoying it while battling flying squirrels and swimming in the cool spring waters of Lake Coolbrook with friends during our long hot Carthage summers.    Later yet, Arthur Boots, 1939 builder of the famous Boots Motel on 'ole Route 66 www.theroadwanderer.net/66Missouri/carthage.htm in Carthage, Missouri where Clark Cable once stayed, and Boots Drive-Inn which his son, my friend, Bob (now in Tulsa, Oklahoma) ran for years after WW II, ~ ~ purchased Mr Roper's home for his father's retirement home.    Its my understanding all that remains are memories for those few of us who knew "Coolbrook" in its glory days, with so much enjoyment during early to mid twentieth century. Most improvements have now vanished with time and neglect back to mother nature, with modern day retreats replacing this simpler way of summer life, same with "Lakeside Park", west side of Carthage, near old Route 66, (as is Route 66, how well I remember "Cobra Lane" near Rolla, Missouri) with its four foot high dam across Center Creek, enjoyed by thousands from the region, operating 1896 to 1935, gone and now all but forgotten.    Coolbrook's main house's chimney is about all that remains.    Good memories remain of "Coolbrook" for we who were able to have enjoyed grandfather Boggess' desirous efforts to please his family.          <~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~> Cousin Jane Hough visited me November 2008 for a few days at my retirement home, www.shellpoint.org. We dinned at our Island Cafe and Crystal Room. She brought with her pictures her mother, aunt Edith, saved and shared them with me thus many are found in my website along with shared memories. http://community.webtv.net/billboggess2/COOLBROOK Compiled by William (Bill) Samuel Boggess, 13 January 2009. http://community.webtv.net/billboggess/MYBOGGESSFAMILY File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/jasper/newspapers/coolbroo2nw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/mofiles/ File size: 8.4 Kb