Tope Family Page

    James Harvey Tope and his family lived in Rockwood, Illinois, from the time of his marriage to Lavica Moore until 1908. Both James and Lavica had grown Up in Rockwood. While living in Rockwood he worked as a fireman on the Iron Mountain Railroad (now the Cotton Belt) and was on the run from East St. Louis to Illmo near Scott City. He would drop off his dirty clothes on one trip and pick up clean ones on the return trip. The house was right near the railroad tracks, so the children would pick them up as they were dropped off and the clean ones ready when he went through the other direction.
    James Harvey and two of his sons went to southeast Missouri in 1908 to look for work and new land. They decided on some rental land near Anniston, Missouri. Harry remembers being sure that his whip for his play horses and cattle drives was packed. The wagons of furniture and personal belongings were taken to the boat landing near Cora City where they were loaded onto the Peter Lee River Boat about midnight. Ike Tope had stayed in Missouri to meet the family at the landing site near Anniston. Plans were for the Topes to be near William Wood and his family, a cousin of Lavica Tope. William's wife, Nancy, smoked her pipe while Charles and Mrs. Tope did not think it was very clean to churn and smoke. William and Nancy had a son named Charles who had lost a leg, but he managed so well it was not noticed. One time another fellow got mad at Charles and kicked his wooden leg. It did not hurt Charles, but almost broke the foot of the other man.
    The Tope children enjoyed the river boat trip activity, especially the measuring of the depth of the river, "Mark Twain!" "Mark Twain!" Eating on the boat was not easy as the children had to be gathered everywhere. At dinner, Leslie, about four, was crying while his mother tried to get him to eat. With all of the activity about her, and watching from a distance, one of the 'refined ladies' remarked, as she peered through 'glasses on a stick,' "Large families are so interesting." Mrs. Tope did not think so at that time.
    New cars were on the bottom deck being shipped to the south. Boys were boys and they soon found them and were playing in them. The crew would run them away but the boys would slip back to play some more giving the crew fits.
    Low river water had made the landing place different than planned, so the family had to spend the night on the river bank waiting for Ike to come with the wagons to move them to the rented farm. This second choice landing place was above Charleston, Missouri. Rats were in abundance because of a corn crib there, so Mr. Tope and Mrs. Tope had to stay awake all night to keep the rats from biting the children. Ike and the wagons arrived about noon the next day, which was Sunday. There were three wagons to load and make the return drive to the farm. They arrived about midnight at the new location with Harry sick. In the commotion and excitement he was given poison rather than medicine. A doctor came and used the old tricks to make him throw-up. It worked and he was still very much alive at 84-1/2. Thank you, Lord!
    The Tope clan did not stay long near Anniston but moved to a larger house about seven miles south of Anniston, on the banks of the White Creek. The older children began their Missouri schooling there in a one room school house. The new land and roads were mostly Missouri black gumbo, making walking to school fun for the kids and work for the moms. After a few months there, they moved again and in 1912 were nearer the Mississippi River. In the 1912 flood they lost everything, because the dam broke at Dorena. Mr. Tope lost the seed corn for the next season and about 85 head of hogs. The hogs survived the flood but when the water was down the first green plants to come up were cockleburrs. The hungry hogs ate them and all died.
    In May 1913, James Harvey Tope and his family moved from Mississippi County, Missouri, to Lilbourn, Missouri, in New Madrid County. They moved into the house where Ruby Tope now lives. Her father, Ralph, bought the house when he was a young man and lived there the rest of his life.
    The summer of 1913 was "berry picking' time in the swamp lands as there were plenty of black berries about 1-1/2 miles from town, along with the chiggers and snakes. The younger children, too young to get a job all picked blackberries. Mrs. Tope canned about 85 quarts of them and many gallons were sold at 25¢ each for school clothes. School began the last of July or the first of August and then was out in September for 'cotton picking vacation.' This was the first town school for the children so they had to take entrance tests to see where they would be placed. Harry and Harold were put in the 4th grade. The teachers thought they would be smart and put one of the twins in the front seats of the class and the other one in the back of the class room. However, at recess they would change places to their liking and no one ever knew the difference.
    In the summer of 1914, Harold and Harry, along with some of the older boys went to work in the handle mill in Lilbourn for the summer. Those of school age would quit for the winter to attend school. The twins Attended school until age 18, when they completed the eighth grade, then they went to work full time and did not attend high school. They worked in the handle mill until it shut down about 1919. Harry then worked in Cairo, Illinois, for the same company and was later transferred to one of the company's mills in Tennessee. The mill was between the Tiger Tail River and the Obion River and when both overflowed in the winter of 1919 the mill was closed and he returned to Lilbourn.