Editor's note: This is a reprint of a story that was originally printed in the Hannibal Courier-Post during an edition printed in honor of the newspaper's 100th anniversary, in 1938.

Three-quarters century's recollection of Hannibal, more than two thirds of which was spent in the postal service where he had a "front seat" in watching his native city develop from the sprawling river town recovering from the war between the states down to the present industrial and business community, has given Charles R. Martin a rich store of Hannibal history.

Added to his own recollections, Mr. Martin has a fine collection of pictures of Hannibal and local scenes through much of this period, for he has been for many years a photographer of unusual talent and experience, although following the work only as a hobby and because of the recognition of it's value in preserving scenes and incidents. His fine memory and his ability with the camera have made his reminiscences of exceptional value.

Mr. Martin's father, Robert Martin, came here from Pennsylvania in the 1850's. A prominent Hannibalian of that era, T. R. Selmes, who was a leading citizen in business and banking circles in the frontier city of that time, had known him in his native state and prevailed upon him to come west. Martin was a marble cutter and Selmes saw an opportunity in the growing Mississippi river city for an accomplished man of that trade. Sometime in the same decade Orpha Craig came here with her family, and she and Robert Martin were married.

The elder Martin established a business having his first shop on North Third street‹the east side of the street on the north side of the alley. Later he was west of Sixth street, almost opposite the present postoffice. "I first remember my father's business on Broadway, east of Third street about where the George D. Clayton & Sons office now stands." (227 Broadway) Mr. Martin says.

Mr. Martin tells of what is his earliest recollection of his early childhood. Late during the war a Confederate soldier was held prisoner in a storeroom on Broadway. He places it in what then was known as the Brittingham building, probably about the middle of that half-block. (2001Location of the former Wareco gas station) One morning a detail of Union soldiers brought him out and marched him behind a coffin loaded in a "dirt wagon"‹this was a small bedded vehicle with loose boards in the bottom so the load might be dumped.

They marched to the river front. There, two large rambling warehouses stood, and on the roofs were a large number of persons, mostly women and children, Martin recalls. He says that he did not see the execution but probably because he was quite small.

"My mother always insisted that I could not remember this," he chuckles. "She said I had heard the story told often and came to believe I could recall it."

The old warehouses to which he refers stood along the waterfront one on each side of East Broadway. Mr. Martin does not remember who owned them but says they were for storage by individuals or business concerns shipping in by water, or for transfer to the railroad. They were torn down too early for him to remember a great deal about them.

Another unique structure that passed out of the Hannibal picture ahead of Mr. Martin's recollection was a rambling market built in the middle of Broadway immediately west of Third street. It afforded farmers and hucksters a place to sell their products and was a busy place in season. One way drives on each side were kept open. Later it was torn down and markets were built elsewhere.

The Broadway location of the Martin marble shop in the 200 block was one of a number of one-story frame buildings there, he recalls. As a young boy he played there and along the pond that covered much of the south half of that block at the time.

Asked how far out Broadway extended then, he said there was not a great deal west of Fifth street, "the top of the hill." Some homes had been built farther out.

"The farthest west on Broadway I can remember as a boy was a big apple orchard at what is now the corner of Dowling and Broadway," Mr. Martin continued. "We boys would go out to Minnow creek and play, swinging on the willows and getting some duckings when we would fall in the creek. "On the way home in the late summer and fall we always would stop and help ourselves to apples."

In those early days when he was a young lad Mr. Martin recalls a bank in the location now occupied by Logan's shoe store. (123 north Main) This was operated by Judge Eastin, who was long a prominent citizen and business leader. There also was a bank on Center street where Justice of the Peace John Totsch now has his office.

Mr. Martin recalls that the first school he attended was in a large second-floor room known as the old Melpontian hall, at the corner of Third and Center streets now occupied by a garage building. (2001 The presant Hannibal Courier Post building) Later it became known as Scyoc's hall. Such halls were frequently used for school purposes church basements also providing school quarters.

There was a school in a church basement at Fifth and Church. the location of the present city library building. Mr. Martin later attended here. He also recalls one in a large hall at the corner of Sixth and Broadway, now the I. O. O. F. buildings. A Mr. Summers had a school at Sixth and Bird streets. The high school was at the southeast corner of Sixth and Rock streets. This is recalled by many older residents. Later the high school was built on Center street and operated for years in the building with Central school. Then in 1904 there was erected the large four-story building at Eleventh and Broadway which served for approximately thirty years until the present modern plant on McMaster avenue was finished in 1934.

For years there was operated the Hannibal college as a private institution. R. F. Lakeman, a prominent business man and others were active in its promotion and the Rev. Leo Baier was in charge. Started in 1869 it flourished for several years but final]y suspended. In its first six years there had been a total enrollment of 650 pupils, records show. As the town grew and needs increased there were new locations and more schools for public education.

Mr. Martin who retired a few years ago after 52 years service with the Hannibal postoffice, not only had an unusual record in this branch of the public service but an exceptional opportunity to view the progress and growth of Hannibal. He entered the postoffice as a clerk in 1878. Hannibal's postoffice had been created by the federal government just a half century before, on January 18, 1828. Z. D. Draper was the first postmaster.

The first postoffice was at 311 Bird street, in a brick building on the North side of the alley, between Third and Fourth streets. It still stands. Later according to the best information it occupied locations in what was known as the Brittingham building on Broadway (1938 now used by the Avery-Birch Furniture Co.) (2001Location of the former Wareco gas station) , a building at Third and Broadway (now the Hannibal Trust corner), on South Main street (now occupied by the Home Clothing Co. 104 South Main), the corner of Main and Church streets, now the Windsor hotel, (2001 a parking lot) and the corner of Main and Broadway (1938 now Kirkpatrick Drug Co.) (2001 Steamboat Annie's Building) From that location it was moved in to the new federal building Sixth and Broadway, where it since has been.

There were five employees in the postoffice in 1878 including the postmaster and Martin. Richard Drain was postmaster and A. G. McDaniel, assistant. Other clerks were George Blanchard and Mahlon Richcreek. All now are dead. Letter carriers at that time were: Dan Campbell, August Hofbauer, Ben Fields and James Dealy.

Almost invariably postal employees were civil war veterans then and Martin was an exception, coming into the postoffice when but a youth. He tells interestingly of the surroundings of the old post office at Main and Church. A large pond was to the rear taking up much of the space to the rear of buildings along Main street and extending almost to South Third. There also was a pond across the street and to the south about the present Mark Twain hotel location. These afforded fine fishing spots in the summer and skating places for the winter.

Remaining there for about two years after Mr. Martin entered the postal employ the postoffice was moved to Main and Broadway, where it remained until the final move to the present building. This was secured for Hannibal by Col. William Henry Hatch during his tenure as a member of congress and was one of the finest federal buildings in the middle west for a city of Hannibal's size. An original appropriation of $75,000 was made by congress but was insufficient. Later Co]. Hatch secured an additional $50,000 to complete the structure.

In recent years there has been an addition and remodeling of the interior including installation of an elevator at a cost of more than $100,000. Moving from the downtown location where the postal facilities had been quartered in a business building for years, into the capacious new building, was a huge task for the postal employees. But, as Mr. Martin points out with Justifiable pride, the move was made in one night Starting as soon as possible after closing hours, they were ready the following morning at 10 o'clock to wait on the public. In those days the postoffice was open from 10 to 11 on Sunday mornings, and this was one of the busiest hours of the week.

"We thought we had worlds of room then," Mr. Martin muses, "But before I left the service we were crowded worse than ever. The business of the office had grown in such proportions; as well as new branches being established that we needed more room "

Although in the postal service 52 years Mr. Martin served under only eight postmasters. This was due to several holding more than one term.

He entered the service under Richard Drain. He was followed by Capt. W. F. Chamberlain, who continued until James Nickell became postmaster under Grover Cleveland. Then John Catlett served four years and he was followed by Nickell serving a second term when Cleveland was elected president in l832. With the coming of the McKinley administration Russell A Alger was appointed postmaster. Succeeding him was Thomas B. Morris, long time editor and owner of the Courier-Post. J. R. Blackwood served through the two Wilson administrations, and was succeeded by J. P. O'Hern, who served three terms, a total of twelve years and was sucedded by F. T. O'Dell as temporary postmaster and the recent incumbent, F. J. Schaul. Mr. martin retired during the O'Hern incumbency.

Still active and about every day, he takes a keen interest in everything that is going on in the city that he has seen pass through three-quarters of a century of development.