High Street viaduct has history all its own

The High Street viaduct stretches over Missouri Boulevard and the railroad tracks between downtown Jefferson City and West High Street. (News Tribune file photo)
The High Street viaduct stretches over Missouri Boulevard and the railroad tracks between downtown Jefferson City and West High Street. (News Tribune file photo)

Major artery opened through efforts of former Mayor C.W. Thomas

By Madeleine Leroux, [email protected]

One of Jefferson City's main arteries running east and west is thanks to a little-known former mayor and was even, at one time, named after him.

The West High Street Viaduct often has been the only route available to cross town in times of major floods, like in 1951 and 1993, and its existence is credited to former Jefferson City Mayor Cecil Warren Thomas.

photo

Pork Loin in Chile Adobo With Grilled Pineapple Tacos topped with cilantro and Green Salsa combine spicy chile peppers with soothing pineapple.

Not long after being elected to office in 1911, Thomas began advocating to build a viaduct over Wear's Creek and what were then known as the Missouri Pacific railroad tracks. On Sept. 25, 1911, the Jefferson City Democrat Tribune reported "this improvement will give our city a straight improved street from end to end. Our citizens generally should lend every aid possible to the mayor and city council in bringing about a consummation of the plan."

(That same month, the Democrat Tribune also took credit for the entire idea, noting the "movement was started by the Democrat during the administration of Dr. (Joseph) Porth," who was mayor in 1903.)

By November 1911, Thomas was advocating to issue bonds to help pay for a number of city improvements, including the idea for a viaduct over Wear's Creek. The special election, originally set for Dec. 5, 1911, was meant to vote on issuing $70,000 worth of bonds for city improvements, including $33,000 for building and repairing viaducts.

"A certain sum should be used in the construction of bridges and viaducts, namely: across the railroad tracks and the streams along West High Street," Thomas said in an address to the city in November 1911.

The special election was delayed twice, but on Dec. 28, 1911, voters approved the West High Street Viaduct by a vote of 1,707-100.

By spring 1913, the viaduct was nearing final completion. As the city prepared to accept the viaduct, the Jefferson City Council decided to give it an official name.

"It has been suggested that the viaduct be named the Thomas viaduct," the Democrat Tribune reported on May 17, 1913. "This is a good suggestion, as it was Mayor Thomas' plan and idea that carried to a successful issue the plan to build a viaduct that would give the city more than one opening to the west end. Mayor Thomas deserves the honor and it is most likely that the resolution will carry the name of the Thomas Viaduct."

Three days later, the Democrat Tribune reported the council had adopted the name of the C.W. Thomas Viaduct. It was built at a cost of $26,333, with the Missouri Pacific railroad contributing $5,000.

But that official name seemed to have fallen out of use even before the viaduct was replaced.

By 1947, the West High Street viaduct had fallen into disrepair, to the point where the city had to condemn it. By that time, no reports found even mentioned the name C.W. Thomas.

After being elected in the spring of 1947, new Mayor James T. Blair recommended to the city council immediately closing the viaduct, along with the Walnut Street bridge, as both were "in such condition as to create a serious danger to persons using these structures."

On May 11, 1947, the Post-Tribune reported the City Council had authorized closing the High Street viaduct and "Street Commissioner W. A. Curtis was instructed to act immediately in closing the viaduct to vehicular traffic by placing barriers, signs and lights on both."

The next day, the Post-Tribune reported on Blair speaking to a Rotary Club luncheon, where he said "the structure was condemned nearly 20 years ago from a safe engineering standpoint ... and 16 years ago Missouri Pacific railroad engineers recommended immediate repairs. And some years ago other engineers again recommended repairs which, for some reason or other have not been made.

"In the last year the retaining wall has slipped three inches and you can see the cracks there,' Blair stated. "If the wall at the northeast corner of the bridge slips further the retaining wall and the approach to the viaduct will slip into the creek!

"... The viaduct might collapse any minute, yet it might last a number of years. If we had a serious accident there would be no legal defense against negligence on the part of the city. It would just be a matter on the jury deciding how much to give the injured parties.'"

An attempt to approve bonds in a special election in spring 1947 failed to get the needed two-thirds majority to approve the project.

By November 1947, the city again held a special election on issuing bonds to construct a new viaduct, the one currently standing in Jefferson City. This time, the issue passed by a vote of 3,707-1,047.

The election was for $435,000 in bonds to pay for a new viaduct, Walnut Street bridge and two new swimming pools (one for white people and one for black people). The city used $225,000 in bond money and nearly $400,000 in state and federal funds to complete the viaduct and Walnut Street bridge.

The project was originally expected to be completed by summer 1950, but weather delays kept the project from being complete until Dec. 22, 1950, when the city held a ribbon cutting for its newest viaduct. Former Mayor Blair was present, but at that time had become lieutenant governor, along with the widow of C.W. Thomas, who cut the ribbon for the project that replaced one of her late husband's principal accomplishments.

C.W. Thomas: The man behind the bridge

By Michelle Brooks, [email protected]

He was a wet Republican who ran for several statewide offices, served six terms as mayor and was instrumental in several progressive moves bringing Jefferson City into the 20th century.

Laquan Fitzpatrick
Laquan Fitzpatrick

The former High Street Viaduct over Missouri Boulevard, built in 1913 and condemned 1947, was named for Cecil Warren Thomas, nicknamed "the builder."

The existing viaduct was completed in 1950, and his widow cut the ribbon.

"The old viaduct was built through the efforts of Cecil W. Thomas, then mayor. It was through Mayor Thomas, ably assisted by the Daily Post, that Jefferson City finally secured paved streets and a streetcar system, later replaced by buses," Editor Lawrence Luetkewitte wrote Oct. 7, 1956, for the Sunday News and Tribune. "It was an era of progress in Jefferson City. Mayor Thomas was the right man for the job and it was the support of the newspaper that made progress possible."

He was also involved with or supported the construction of the street railway system, Forest Hills development, the plan for a toll-free Missouri River bridge, promotion of the Missouri Hotel, the city sewer system, and the improvement of the city's fire, police and street departments.

"It was during his administrations that Missouri's capital city shook off her country-town ways and assumed both the aspect and the action of a real city," the Springfield Missouri Republican reported April 7, 1923.

Thomas also was among the founders of the Jefferson City Country Club and served as its president. And he served twice as the Chamber of Commerce president.

"Thomas was always a leader in civic enterprises and his activities are an account of the growth and improvement of Jefferson City," the Daily Capital News said June 30, 1943.

His first job was as a bank clerk in St. Louis. He took up the real estate business after returning to the Capital City, working with Charles Winston before partnering with his brother-in-law Thomas Lawson Price.

"The firm of Thomas and Price soon became one of the leading firms of the city and many of the big deals of the day went through their office," the Daily Capital News said.

Thomas was forward thinking in his role as a civic leader. He built a tourist park on Country Club Drive. And as mayor he pushed to bring the air field, the first buses and the first snow plows.

When Bagnell Dam was under construction in the late 1920s, Thomas was enthused about the possibilities for his hometown.

"There is in the making, within 40 miles of Jefferson City, a project that when completed will change and make over the central part of Missouri," Thomas was quoted as saying in the Springfield Leader Nov. 9, 1925. "Our city is connected through the Missouri Pacific with this project at Bagnell and with the Missouri River a navigable stream, this section of the country could, by use of its railroads and the Missouri River, get its products to the sea, and therefore, to all the world. We are exceptionally situated."

After being elected to his third consecutive term as mayor, the Springfield Missouri Republican reported April 11, 1915, "that he has made a fine official, that his aggressive activities for the making of a bigger, more beautiful state capital city, are appreciated by his fellow townspeople, as well as by the Republican organization which renominated him without opposition, will hardly be denied in the face of his third election to the most important political position in the now progressive and rapidly growing capital of Missouri."

Thomas was mayor during the Capitol cornerstone-laying ceremony in June 1915, the Moberly Weekly Monitor reported. More than 5,000 visitors from across the state turned out and moving pictures were taken of the crowds, Capitol and decorated streets.

"To Mayor Thomas goes much of the credit for the growth and betterment of the city," another Daily Capital News article said. "His vision, judgment, determination and continuous and untiring efforts played a large part in the progress of the city placing it above many others of comparable size in achievements."

One of the lighter duties during Thomas' terms as mayor included throwing out the first pitch of the baseball season. In April 1923, he opened the game at Ruwart's Park, where the Prison Band provided music, before the matchup between the black, semi-professional Mohawks and the A.B.C.'s of Peaceful Village.

At a May 1925 council meeting, Thomas pushed for bus lines for the South Side, to add several playgrounds across the city and to take care of the garbage situation.

He was quoted in the Daily Capital News: "Jefferson City is growing and expanding and we cannot afford to be backward about needed city improvements. We must move forward also, or our citizens will move elsewhere."

The Jefferson City Post-Tribune in Jan. 7, 1929, said Thomas also "was a pioneer in the park and playground movement in Jefferson City."

Thomas first made his bid for politics in 1909, when he was defeated in his first run for mayor. At the time, he was on Gov. Herbert Hadley's personal staff.

He was elected mayor in 1911, 1913, 1915, 1923, 1925 and 1927.

While serving as mayor in 1915, he attempted a run for governor. And in 1916, he tried for the lieutenant governor seat.

In 1918, he was expected to be the governor's appointment to to the state highway commission, which didn't work out. Thomas and Gov. Fred Gardner were "frequent golf companions at the Jefferson City Country Club," the Franklin County Tribune reported Dec. 6, 1918.

He served as both mayor and president of the Chamber of Commerce, his second term, in 1925.

And his last bid for politics was to run for the 8th District Congress seat in 1926.

He had declared support for an amendment to the Volstead Act, changing the legal alcohol level to 2.75 percent in the hopes of putting moonshiners and bootleggers out of business.

"The mayor is a mild wet," the Springfield Leader said June 6, 1924. "Yet, he is wet enough to draw fire from all dry organizations. ... Not many wets even have the courage to run for office although they often declare prohibition is not favored by the people."

Thomas was born in Jefferson City in 1872, the son of Capt. Charles and Ophelia Bolten Thomas. He attended Jefferson City schools.

He married Celeste Price, granddaughter of former mayor Thomas Lawson Price, in 1902. Each were fifth-generation descendants of the pioneer Bolton family, which moved to Mid-Missouri in the early 1830s.

Their wedding was the last social function held at the old Price Mansion, which stood where the State Supreme Court Building is today. They lived at 428 E. Main St., where the Missouri Chamber of Commerce is today.

Thomas died of heart disease while sitting in a Blackstone Hotel room in Chicago.

"The fact that Jefferson City has come out of the mud is one of the outstanding improvements, which has led to other improvements," the Post Tribune reported Aug. 21, 1929. "The automobile and the determination of the late Mayor Cecil W. Thomas, backed by a citizenry that favored street building were definite factors favoring this progress."