Scott City centennial is almost forgotten

When Norman Brant came before the city council in Scott City recently to discuss his proposal to establish a city flag, he mentioned that the flag would commemorate the city's founding 100 years ago.

"This is the first we've heard about that," Mayor Tim Porch said.

Carolyn Pendergrass, chairwoman of the city's Historic Preservation Commission, and others in the city involved in historical issues were dumfounded when Brant informed them that the city's centennial is this year. "We said, Oh my God, we let that go by," she recalled.

But there is good reason why the date of Scott City's founding is muddled.

Scott City is the modern amalgamation of three towns -- Ancell, Edna and Illmo -- that once sat side-by-side. A crow would have had to fly only three miles to cross them. Ancell and Edna were both platted in 1903, Illmo in 1904, hence the centennial that organizers plan to extend into 2004. But old-timers remember more town names that only add to the confusion.

Ancell, located where Interstate 55 now runs through Scott City, was named for a local family in 1903. But earlier, after the Cotton Belt Railroad bought 16 miles of track running from the Mississippi River to Delta in 1888, Ancell was known as Glenn Station and Kelso Station.

Edna was east of Ancell. It was named for the daughter of landowner and school teacher Henry Schuette. In 1911, due to confusion with a Missouri town similarly named, Edna was re-christened Fornfelt. Fornfelt was Schuette's wife's maiden name.

Illmo was located east and south of Fornfelt. It has Scott City's older commercial district and older houses. The origin of the name is obvious, but Illmo previously was known much more fancifully as Whippor-Will's Hollo.

The Ancell and Fornfelt consolidation occurred in 1960. They became Scott City just as I-55 came through town. Construction of the highway required the destruction in Ancell of 52 buildings, including three service stations, a roller skating rink and a barbershop. "It practically wiped out Ancell," Brant said. "Some people call it progress, some call it a tragedy. You lost your Mayberry feel."

Congressional heritage

The name Scott City was chosen because the city is located in Scott County. Scott County was named for John Scott, Missouri's first Congressman. He, however, hailed from Ste. Genevieve.

The final consolidation occurred in 1980 when Illmo and Scott City voters decided one name for the community was enough.

Brant, who earlier this month was elected to the city council and will be sworn in Monday, met recently with the presidents of civic organizations who decided to begin celebrating Scott City's centennial at this year's Summerfest in June and continue through the 2004 Summerfest to account for Illmo's founding date.

Brant began working on designs for a city flag more than 15 years ago. "I was thinking the city needs an image," he said. One of the first ideas, hatched before construction of the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, was a flag that read "Show Me Scott City."

Airplanes, trucks, boats, trains and tractors have been part of various flag designs because all represent important parts of the life of Scott City, Brant said, but everything wouldn't fit on one flag. "Before you knew it, it was too busy."

His final design, inspired by Scott City's rich railroad history, has a steam locomotive bearing the words "Preserve the past" and a modern locomotive with the words "Embrace the future." They are separated by a Cotton Belt emblem.

Brant will present his design for the flag, created by Sign Master in Cape Girardeau, to the council Monday night.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182