'Hartzell mansion,' magnolia fell to progress in 1948

The residence at 222 Morgan Oak St. in Cape Girardeau, known as the "Hartzell mansion," was razed in 1948 to make way for a commercial structure. Along with it, a beautiful magnolia tree was felled in the name of progress.

The exact date the house was constructed isn't known, although some historians say it was before 1865. The first owner of the house recorded in the Missourian library was Nicholas Wichterich. His obituary, found on the front page of the Cape Girardeau Weekly Democrat, Feb. 3, 1900, says he was born in Bonn, Germany, on March 12, 1827, and was educated at the university there. As a young man, he supported an effort to establish a republic in Germany. But with the defeat of that movement, Wichterich decided to escape his homeland for America. He located in Cape Girardeau in 1855.

His mother followed two years later, accompanied by Elizabeth "Eliza" Moliton. Nicholas and Elizabeth were married at Old St. Vincent's Church on Oct. 25, 1858. His obituary concludes, "He leaves a widow, three children and a host of friends to mourn his departure. The timorous maiden who braved the terrors of the sea to come and fulfill the plighted troth with the youthful soldier, in the gloaming of age and sorrow, does not fear the summons -- 'Homeward Come?' to meet her faithful and devoted husband." Eliza died 12 years later, and the two are buried at Old Lorimier Cemetery.

The Wichterichs resided at 222 Morgan Oak until 1882, when the house was sold to James N. Hartzell. James occupied the home until his death in 1925. The "mansion" remained in the family until 1947, as its members passed away: James' widow, Susan Lauthin Hartzell, in 1935; son, Cyrus Hartzell, in 1936 and daughter, Florence Hartzell Oliver, in 1947. Simon Hartzell, another son, likely died in 1935 or 1936. Two other sons, Ira and Henry, died in 1956 and 1973, respectively.

It appears the last family member to occupy the house was Florence. She had lived for a time with her husband, William Oliver, in New Mexico, but following his death there in 1925, she returned to Cape Girardeau and resided with her mother. With Florence's death, Ira sold the mansion to the Rev. E.D. Winstead, a Baptist minister.

Published June 30, 1948, in the Southeast Missourian:

Another of Cape Girardeau's landmarks will be gone when the razing of the old Hartzell home, 222 Morgan Oak St., is completed. One of the oldest in the city, the house belonged to the late Dr. Robert Felix Wichterich, pioneer lumberman, and was sold to J.N. Hartzell in 1882. (I doubt the house was ever owned by Robert Wichterich. He would have been 13 years old when the house was purchased by James Hartzell. It's likely the writer confused Robert with his father, Nicholas. - Sharon) A daughter of Hartzell, Mrs. Florence Oliver, lived there until her death (in 1947). A large truck agency building will be erected on the site. An 89-year-old magnolia tree which stood in the front yard, the largest of its kind in Cape Girardeau, was cut down last week. It was a gift to Nicholas Wichterich in 1864, and was in good condition, blooming each year. (Southeast Missourian archive)

Published June 29, 1948, in the Southeast Missourian:

WINSTEAD, BROWN TO ERECT SALES BUILDING ON MORGAN OAK STREET

Construction work is expected to be started soon on the new B. & W. Sales and Service building on the north side of Morgan Oak Street on what formerly was the Hartzell family property, it was reported today by the Rev. E.D. Winstead, who with Oscar Brown is owner of the new business.

The old Hartzell home, one of the city's landmarks, is being razed and many of the large trees removed to make room for the new structure. The building, designed by General Motors, will have a frontage of 80 feet on Morgan Oak Street and a depth of 150 feet and have about 16,000 square feet of floor space. The first 50 feet of the building's depth will be two stories in height, with the ground floor to house a parts department and offices and the second floor to be made into rental offices.

The remainder of the ground floor will house the GMC truck agency. Brick and stone in an attractive pattern will be employed in the building, which will set back 8 feet from the sidewalk on a landscaped terrace.

"We hope to make a very attractive building which will be in keeping with the already fine surroundings," the Rev. Winstead said. He reported the trees along the sidewalk line in front of the building will be left as a part of the general landscape plan and also some of those along the west side will be left standing. The building will occupy a lot which has a 100-foot frontage on Morgan Oak and a depth of 225 feet.

Sadly, it appears this historic home was destroyed for no reason. There is no indication in Missourian records that the automotive structure was ever built on the site.

While nothing remains of the residence that occupied 222 Morgan Oak St., the magnolia that once graced its lawn lives on. Sam Blackwell wrote about the Hartzell magnolia and its "offspring" in 1997.

Published April 14, 1997, in the Southeast Missourian:

B.W. Harrison admired the magnolia tree in his yard at the corner of Morgan Oak and South Lorimier. (Fred Lynch ~ Southeast Missourian archive)

CAPE GIRARDEAU MAN KEEPING ALIVE LEGACY OF OLD MAGNOLIA TREE

By SAM BLACKWELL
Southeast Missourian

In 1864, Nicholas Wichterich planted a magnolia tree in his yard near the Mississippi River. By all accounts it was Cape Girardeau's first southern magnolia, a variety usually found in warmer latitudes.

The property changed hands, but the spreading tree became a landmark. James Hartzell, a Civil War veteran who operated a sawmill and managed the city's first electric light plant, bought the house at 222 Morgan Oak in 1882. The grand home remained in the Hartzell family for many years.

The Southeast Missourian often remarked upon the tree's presence as well.

June 20, 1929: "Magnolia tree at residence of Mr. and Mrs. J.N. Hartzell on Morgan Oak is adorned with scores of blooms. During its 70 years it has grown to a large size."

June 22, 1934: "The magnolia tree in the front yard of J.N. Hartzell, Morgan Oak Street, is in full bloom."

Then in June 1948, after a Hartzell descendant in Kansas City sold the property to the Rev. E.D. Winstead, the house was razed and the tree was cut down.

The Southeast Missourian ran a photograph and referred to the tree as "a thing of beauty when covered with several 100 (sic) blossoms, and was still in good condition. A landmark, the cutting of the tree was known by many. Rev. Winstead plans to build a garage on the site."

In the days before the environmental movement arrived, the loss of a landmark tree did not go unnoticed.

B.W. Harrison and his wife, Hazel, married only a year then, lived next door to the Hartzell house. They were on the West Coast on a belated honeymoon when the tree and house were torn down. "I think she'd have been out there with a shotgun," he says.

Hazel grew up next to the Hartzells and was treated like an adopted granddaughter. "Hazel was fond of the tree and the home and the family," Harrison said.

Fortunately, in the mid-1940s Hazel's family had planted a seedling from the Hartzell tree in their front yard. And through the years, Harrison has transplanted seedlings from the tree at various locations in town.

Among the other descendants of that Hartzell tree planted in 1864 are the magnolia tree at the historic Judith Crow house, 323 Themis; the magnolia tree in May Greene Garden; the magnolia tree at the historic Glenn House, 325 S. Spanish; and a magnolia tree on the grounds of Old St. Vincent's Church.

The last was planted about three years ago in memory of Hazel, a lifelong member of the old church who died in 1990. It's about 8 feet tall now, and he has seen it through assaults by a car and a weed-eater.

Magnolia trees he transplanted at another historic Cape Girardeau site, the Reynolds House, and at the Common Pleas Courthouse "fell victim to careless lawn mowing," he said, eyes twinkling.

His own tree is "a beautiful specimen," he says. "You'd be surprised how many people from out of town stop and admire it and ask, "What kind of tree is that?"

Harrison still lives in his wife's family home at the corner of South Lorimier and Morgan Oak. The land the Hartzell house and magnolia tree once stood upon is now home to the Downtown Motel.

Harrison, a retired University of Missouri extension administrator, will be 87 on May 2. He has a housekeeper but mows his own yard and still pays particular attention to the care and pruning of a certain magnolia tree.

"I've been looking after it 50 years," he said.

The Hartzell magnolia in its prime. (Southeast Missourian archive)

Alas, the magnolia planted at the Crow residence, 323 Themis St., died several years ago and was removed. The others listed in Blackwell's article, however, are still growing, still blooming.