Irish in Missouri
A September 2010 article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was entitled “Missouri now ‘destination state’ for immigrants.” The image above claims that 4% of Missourians are foreign born and that foreign-born Missourians make up 5% of the state’s workforce. In raw numbers, this is over 233,000 people, that is more than the combined population of Independence and Columbia (Missouri’s 4th and 5th largest communities respectively). The nations of origin for most Missouri immigrants today are Mexico, China, and India. We have seen the number of foreign-born residents of Missouri increase by more than 50% since the start of the 21st Century. While this may seem amazing or newsworthy, Missouri has always experienced bursts of immigration since it became a state. The 1830 federal census stated that Missouri’s population was 140,455. Thirty years later, that number was a whopping 1,182,012! Some of the largest increases of immigrants to the state occurred in the 1830s and 1840s.
The early days of Missouri’s immigration brought people here, for the most part, due to economic reasons. They had experienced land shortages, crop failures, and poor wages in their homelands. Most of these peoples came to Missouri’s large cities, such as St. Louis and Kansas City, and stayed there. Some were not able to afford to move beyond these communities because they had spent all they had just to get to the United States. One of these groups in particular came from Ireland.
Many people think that the Irish came to the United States simply because of the great potato famines of the 1840s. While this is definitely a major cause of Irish immigration, it wasn’t the only one. Ireland was under the rule of Great Britain and British policies there prevented most Irish Catholics from land ownership. Protestant, Anglo-Irish landowners controlled the agricultural industry of Ireland and made the Catholics live as tenants farming the land for the landowners. It was difficult for the Irish Catholics to support their families in these situations. As the 1840s reached a mid-point there was a devastating famine that affected the country’s main agricultural crop, potatoes. This famine lasted for three years and the British leaders decided to send Irish peasants to other places. The Spanish carried potatoes from the Americas to Europe in the 1500s. Ironically, this bringing of an American item to Europe would cause the bringing of Irish to the Americas. 100,000 were sent to North America in 1847. The next year saw landowners evicting, or forcing from their homes, thousands of starting Irish tenants. With no income and no homes, where would they go?
The answer to that question came in the form of letters from friends and family members who had earlier immigrated to the United States. The 1840s was not the first time Irish relocated to the “New World” and it wouldn’t be the last. With little resources, thousands of Irish men came to America looking for a fresh start. They hoped to earn enough money to send home so that their loved ones could join them in their new home.
The Irish represented more than one-third of all the immigrants to the United States between 1820 and 1860. In the 1840s, the represented close to half of all the immigrants here. The Irish lifestyle in their homeland was an agricultural one. Many were farmers, used to living in relation to nature. Life in America was quite different for them as they arrived in the large cities, such as New York. They found themselves unprepared for the industrialized urban centers and were forced to crowd their families into homes intended for single families. They lived in tiny, cramped spaces; cellars, attics and even the alleys of the cities became home. Disease, violence, and other health hazards were abundant in these living conditions.
What type of work would these Irish immigrants do to try and earn some kind of income to support their families? Practically any kind. Some worked in the sweat shops, the factories of the major cities. Others would take hard labor jobs, such as street work, sanitation, and the like. There was a portion of these immigrants who would find their way into public service, fire and police work. Others found work building the transportation industry that would advance the nation westward. Many Irish men worked on the canals that carried freight and passengers west into Illinois or on the railroads that spanned the nation. These opportunities opened up the interior of the nation to the Irish. The Erie, Hudson, and Delaware canals brought the Irish into the backcountry, where they often settled to dig coal (Gleeson, 2001). Many of these Irishmen would settle in Pennsylvania in the coalmining regions. Understandably, some of these Irishmen with affection to work in the coal fields found their way to Adair County, adding to the coalmining boom that led to the incorporation of Novinger as a city in 1901.
Many Irish families would settle in Adair County during the middle years of the 19th century, such as the James Ross family in 1871 and Daniel Mitchell (a lawyer) in 1874. The extinct community of Tipperary south of Novinger was named for a town in Ireland. The community of Adair, located between Kirksville and Brashear on Highway 11 was founded by Irish Catholic settlers from Perry County, Ohio in the 1840s. A Father O’Shea served Adair in 1880, coming from the county of Adare in Ireland (Poston, 1981). Many other Adair County families have Irish heritage.
Many Irish families would settle in Adair County during the middle years of the 19th century, such as the James Ross family in 1871 and Daniel Mitchell (a lawyer) in 1874. The extinct community of Tipperary south of Novinger was named for a town in Ireland. The community of Adair, located between Kirksville and Brashear on Highway 11 was founded by Irish Catholic settlers from Perry County, Ohio in the 1840s. A Father O’Shea served Adair in 1880, coming from the county of Adare in Ireland (Poston, 1981). Many other Adair County families have Irish heritage.
Like on the East Coast, the majority of Irish in Missouri made their homes in the large cities, predominantly St. Louis and Kansas City. By 1850, 43% of all St. Louisans were born in either Ireland or Germany. The St. Louis Irish settled in two distinct locations, the “Kerry Patch,” or around Cheltenham. Many of these Irish immigrants engaged in the mining of clay and the creation of clay bricks. The growth of the railroads in St. Louis in 1852 brought that clay and fire brick industry’s growth.
Since many of the Irish were poor and having to live in squalor, they didn’t have much more respect than the African Americans of the time period.
Since many of the Irish were poor and having to live in squalor, they didn’t have much more respect than the African Americans of the time period.
The Irish suffered intense negative stereotyping in the United States, much like the views towards African Americans by many white Americans. One common statement of the day was “Let Negroes be servants, and if not the Negroes, let Irishmen fill their place.” The comic Irishman-happy, lazy, stupid-was seen in American theater, much like the images of “Uncle Toms” to represent some blacks. Irish were seen as drunkards, quick to fight or to steal. The term “paddy wagon” for a police vehicle came from the racist term “paddy” a shortened take on the Irish name of Patrick. Irish women were seen as witches. Images shown on this page of displaying Irish as “apes” and false “scientific” images of the similarities between Irish and Africans were prevalent in newspapers of the day.
The concept of signage claiming “No Irish Need Apply” as in don’t seek work here have been existent in cultural history for years, although some historians claim that there was actually very little of these types of signs at the time.
The concept of signage claiming “No Irish Need Apply” as in don’t seek work here have been existent in cultural history for years, although some historians claim that there was actually very little of these types of signs at the time.
Irish in St. Louis
A group of Irish immigrants settled in an area of St. Louis that would be known as the “Kerry Patch.” It’s name came from the fact that these immigrants had come from County Kerry Ireland. Many of the Irish had survived in Ireland through the development of gangs and the practice would continue in the States. The Kerry Patch would be “ruled” by several gangs, including “Clabber Alley,” “Poverty Pocket,” “Wild Cat Chute,” “Castle Thunder,” and “Battle Row.” Native St. Louisians would come into the Patch to stir up fights and riots and slip out before the police got there in time to arrest the “troublemakers.” The average life expectancy of someone in these areas was fourteen years old. Some of the city’s Irish would work in the breweries at the turn of the century. When Prohibition closed down the breweries, some of these people would be involved in bootlegging and make their own product in home breweries.
A group of Irish immigrants settled in an area of St. Louis that would be known as the “Kerry Patch.” It’s name came from the fact that these immigrants had come from County Kerry Ireland. Many of the Irish had survived in Ireland through the development of gangs and the practice would continue in the States. The Kerry Patch would be “ruled” by several gangs, including “Clabber Alley,” “Poverty Pocket,” “Wild Cat Chute,” “Castle Thunder,” and “Battle Row.” Native St. Louisians would come into the Patch to stir up fights and riots and slip out before the police got there in time to arrest the “troublemakers.” The average life expectancy of someone in these areas was fourteen years old. Some of the city’s Irish would work in the breweries at the turn of the century. When Prohibition closed down the breweries, some of these people would be involved in bootlegging and make their own product in home breweries.
Irish in Kansas City
St. Louis ranked only higher than Kansas City in Irish population during the 19th century. Irish workers would be instrumental in the creation of Kansas City as the metropolitan area it is today. Bernard Donnelly landed in Kansas City in 1857 and was given the task of cutting the bluffs along the river to create the town. The 1870s saw the Irish holding reign over Kansas City politics. A Kansas City Times reporter stated in 1872 that “The Irishman is an office (political) seeker by birth.” The 1890s beckoned the political machine of “Boss” Tom Pendergast.
St. Louis ranked only higher than Kansas City in Irish population during the 19th century. Irish workers would be instrumental in the creation of Kansas City as the metropolitan area it is today. Bernard Donnelly landed in Kansas City in 1857 and was given the task of cutting the bluffs along the river to create the town. The 1870s saw the Irish holding reign over Kansas City politics. A Kansas City Times reporter stated in 1872 that “The Irishman is an office (political) seeker by birth.” The 1890s beckoned the political machine of “Boss” Tom Pendergast.
Boss Tom and his brother James were the children of Irish immigrants. The Pendergasts were Catholic and involved in the city’s alcoholic business. 1910 brought the birth of the political career of the then-37-year-old Pendergast. He began as part of the Kansas City city council and would eventually hold the role of city manager. Tom continued the business of operating taverns and other less-scrupulous establishments. Violence was part and parcel to the businesses. Even during the Prohibition era, Tom continued to operate drinking establishments, bribing police to leave his taverns along. He was instrumental in the construction of many civic, government, and utility services in the city. He also was involved in the practice of gambling and humanitarian efforts to the residents of his district. Pendergast paid medical bills, gave jobs, and hosted holiday dinners for the poor, often in the push for the voting support of those recipients.
Tom Pendergast would play a major role in Harry Truman’s entrance into politics as a precinct judge in eastern Jackson County. Later, Pendergast would persuade Truman to run for the U.S. Senate. This senatorial seat would pave the road for Truman to be selected as Vice-President and ultimately becoming President with the death of Franklin Roosevelt.
Artist Thomas Hart Benton received a good deal of complaints for including Tom Pendergast in his Capitol murals. But Benton believed that Pendergast was important to our history. Benton was to say that when you display humanity you must show it completely, warts and all.
When you consider the influence of Irish in Missouri, as with the rest of the nation, there have been a both positive and negative aspects. But one can definitely say that the Irish have been involved in the development of our home into the nation that it is today.
Sources used:
http://www.history.com/topics/u-s-immigration-before-1965
http://stlfire4.loudclick.net/
http://www.hectv.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/immigrationcurriculum.pdf
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http://www.ushistory.org/us/25f.asp
http://uncpress.unc.edu/browse/page/365
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/planning/cultural-resources/preservation-plan/Part-I-Peopling-St-Louis.cfm
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http://www.stlmag.com/arts/history/of-cabbages-and-kings/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novinger,_Missouri
http://library.truman.edu/scpublications/chariton%20collector/Spring%201981/It%20All%20Started%20With%20the%20Irish%20Immigrants.pdf
http://www.adairchs.org/history/sketchadair.PDF
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http://www.history.com/topics/u-s-immigration-before-1965
http://stlfire4.loudclick.net/
http://www.hectv.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/immigrationcurriculum.pdf
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/irish4.html
http://www.ushistory.org/us/25f.asp
http://uncpress.unc.edu/browse/page/365
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/planning/cultural-resources/preservation-plan/Part-I-Peopling-St-Louis.cfm
http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1144&context=honorscollege_theses
http://www.stlmag.com/arts/history/of-cabbages-and-kings/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novinger,_Missouri
http://library.truman.edu/scpublications/chariton%20collector/Spring%201981/It%20All%20Started%20With%20the%20Irish%20Immigrants.pdf
http://www.adairchs.org/history/sketchadair.PDF
http://www.racismreview.com/blog/2009/03/17/irish-americans-racism-whiteness/
http://www.squeezeboxcity.com/irishimmigration/
http://spartacus-educational.com/USAEireland.htm