Looking Back: Nelson Comes to Grain Valley

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society

Over the next few weeks I will be writing about the vision of William Rockhill Nelson and the establishment of Sni-A-Bar Farms in Grain Valley. Much has been written about Sni-A-Bar over the past hundred and six years but the Historical Society continues to have inquiries about the farm. Because Grain Valley has grown so rapidly since the last newspaper article was published in August 1999, perhaps it is time to tell the story again.

William Rockhill Nelson was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on March 7, 1841. His father was a newspaper man who, for a short time, owned The Sentinel newspaper, which became the Fort Wayne New Sentinel, but he was much more renowned as a nursery owner. His maternal grandfather, William R. Rockhill was a farmer and politician in Fort Wayne.

Young William attended the University of Notre Dame, which accepted high school students. After two years, Notre Dame reportedly asked that he not return. He was admitted to the bar in 1862; however, he never practiced law.

Before coming to Missouri he was a campaign manager in the unsuccessful bid by Samuel J. Tilden for the presidency, and he attempted to run a store in Savannah, Georgia, but it failed. His time in the south earned him the nickname “The Colonel”, even though he never served in the military.

Nelson and a partner, Samuel Morss, took over the Sentinel in 1879. In 1880 they moved to Kansas City and started the Star. Nelson took over sole ownership of the paper within a few months.

In 1882 he purchased the Kansas City Evening Mail and its Associated Press franchise in 1882 and started the Weekly Kansas City Star in 1890 and the Sunday Kansas City Star in 1894. Nelson bought the Times in 1901 and named it “The Morning Kansas City Star.”

His business strategy called for inexpensive advance subscriptions, and his intention was to have a newspaper independent in politics, dealing with all men and all parties with impartiality and fearlessness. He advocated for Kansas City’s park and boulevard system and the construction of Convention Hall to host the 1900 Democratic National Convention.

In addition to his newspaper duties he was interested in real estate development and created the Rockhill District with nearly 100 homes including his own, Oak Hall. After his death, Oak Hall was demolished to make room for the Nelson Art Gallery. Around 1910 Colonel Nelson began acquiring small farms and in Grain Valley and in 1913 Sni-A-Bar Farms were registered with the State of Missouri. The farm’s mission was the development of improved breeding methods for livestock. Sni-A-Bar became one of the world’s leaders in animal health for more than 30 years. Mr. Nelson died on April 13, 1915.

Next week learn about GRADING UP BEEF CATTLE AT SNI-A-BAR FARMS, with information from the United States Department of Agriculture, Circular No. 74, published by the Government Printing Office in 1926.

Pictured Below: State of Missouri Registration Certificate for Sni-A-Bar Farms, presented July 15, 1913. Photo courtesy Grain Valley Historical Society.