John Roe began as a bricklayer, but made his fortune after he began packing pork products. As a close friend of James Eads, who had his home nearby, he was an early supporter of our now-famous bridge, at a time when its construction was still in doubt. He would not live to see it completed. He owned real estate downtown, as well as the street railway that went past this home on Lafayette. He also owned steamboats, & its interesting to note that one of them, which bore his name, once had Samuel Clemens as a cub pilot. The Roe estate was bordered by Lafayette, Compton, Geyer, & Louisiana; & was sold by his children in 1897 for $75,000. When John Roes widow died in 1904, her estate was valued at $1.5 Million. Roe School in Dogtown, now known as the Wilkinson Magnet School @ Roe, was named for this man. This part of town was known as Compton Hill, named after Roes cousin, Richard Jordan Compton, a major promoter of the Veiled Prophet Parade & later, the Worlds Fair. The name of Kansas Avenue was changed to Compton to honor him. Photo: John Roe House, known as Compton Hill, on Lafayette Avenue. (Missouri History Museum)
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 04:21:15 +0000
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