First Jackon mayor was attorney Limbaugh

The old streets of Jackson were deserted except for the occasional wagon that bumped along carrying those who had perished of the Asiatic cholera and bilious fever that raged in the countryside. It was the summer of 1852 and Cape Girardeau County's "round two" of the disease.... The first onslaught of 1833 took 128 citizens.

During the June 1852 epidemic, Thomas Jefferson Wilson Limbaugh had been taken from his family, leaving his wife, Hannah, pregnant with their son, Jefferson Wilson Limbaugh. Jefferson, born Dec. 7, 1852, would never know his father, who was also the publisher and editor of the Southern Democrat newspaper of Jackson in 1850.

Times were hard for Hannah, a pioneer lady, who also had a daughter, Catherine Bernice, age 2. She would remarry Thomas Swift in 1857.

Following J.W.'s education in the Apple Creek area schools, he was encouraged to pursue a college education at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, and State Normal School in Cape Girardeau. He became a teacher locally and in Tennessee.

As a young man, he would have been well acquainted with public service in the county. Judge Frederick Limbaugh, also a teacher, was present at the first court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions of the County on March 19, 1805. Upon his return from Tennessee, Jefferson became an apprentice attorney with Louis Houck and Johnson Ranney. In 1881 he took a partnership with the R.B. Oliver office in Jackson for five years.

On Nov. 24, 1881, J.W. was betrothed to Anne Moon, daughter of Jackson dentist, Henry and Martha Moon.

Cape Girardeau County Tax Records show in June 1885, the Limbaughs built their dream home at the corner of Florence and Third East streets in the Schmuke Addition.

The grand brick home was four stories, complete with turret on the corner, alongside a sweeping pillared porch. The Jackson Herald newspaper described it as, "one of the most elegant buildings of our city...erected at the cost of $5,000 and steam heated."

The home provided well for the Limbaugh family of six children: Rita (1882), Henry (1884), Bernice (1886), James (1887), Phoebe (1890), and Bessie (1893).

Many efforts over the years had been made to incorporate Jackson; however, it always got tabled along the way. According to the Missouri Cash-Book, Dec. 30, 1884, the municipal government was finally replaced by a proposition to incorporate Jackson as a fourth-class municipality.

At the April 9, 1885, the citizens also voted on their first city aldermen, headed by J.W. Limbaugh as mayor. Some controversy arose in August when Mayor Limbaugh appointed F.H. Dormeyer to refill the marshal's position. Many felt it should have been voted by the people; however, as the Cash-Book stated on Aug. 20, it had saved the county $40-$50 for a special election.

While Limbaugh held the reins of the new government, there were many long nights in the council chambers as the new officials hammered out the wrinkles of their new fourth-class municipality. It seemed very fitting that Jackson's first mayor was undoubtedly one of patience and intelligence, schooled in the legalities, but with the under girding of character needed to guide the fledging government.