Memories from the Homestead: Remembering the wreck below Garber, November 1915

     On November 30, 2025, I wrote a piece on my Facebook page, remembering an event that took place here on Roark close to Garber, one hundred and ten years ago—November 29, 1915.  I was asked to share this with y'all for this column. Unfortunately, this accident brought the first reported fatalities on the railroad, at the time which had been in operation for nine years. By the way, a big thanks to the superb crew at the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia for their assistance with photography and newspaper coverage. What I'm sharing here will also be covered in greater detail in my "Roark Valley Memories and Garber Gleanings" book when it comes out. Here goes.

When I was in junior high and realized Garber's importance as the setting in Harold Bell Wright's "The Shepherd of the Hills," I always jumped on the opportunity to pick Grandpa's brain, as this was the community he grew up in. 

Grandpa (Willard Jones) was full of stories, and our frequent visits where he shared his memories would continue to just a week and a half before his passing in late 2004. I took lots of notes in those twelve-plus years of community history discussions and even did some audio recording too, all of which are greatly treasured today. It was in 2004 before his passing, that my book idea about this community was born. I never dreamed that it would take this long to finish it!

One evening in 1992 at our usual weekly family visit at the home of Grandpa Willard and Grandma Lois a mile east of Garber, fourteen-year-old me decided it was the perfect opportunity to discuss a photo I'd found in a local publication that shared vintage area photography. The photo definitely had way more questions than answers. The image was of a wrecked freight train, over the embankment, with Roark Creek in the background. 

Grandpa Willard put on his glasses and studied the photo for a moment after I presented it to him. "Now this was before my time," he quickly told me. "But I do remember my brothers and Dad talking about it," he recalled. "I remember them saying something about the engineer was trapped and scalded to death from the boiler and he died. Sid Fronaberger was the first neighbor to get to the wreck after it happened." Grandpa also recalled, "I'm pretty sure I can show you the spot where this happened, it's along a bluff up above the creek."

George Hall captures a shot of the wreckage cleanup from a train derailment near Garber along Roark Creek, November 29, 1915. The large rocks below the locomotive are still there today.  (Photo courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri)

After hearing him share all of that, my curiosity was really intrigued, and right there were clues that I never would forget that would later help greatly in my future research. For the longest time I didn't know the exact date of the accident. It was only when I did a lot of further digging (2008-14) in the editions of the Taney County Republican newspaper that I spotted the coverage. It was headline news. So, here's what happened. 

In the early morning hours of November 29, 1915, a redball freight was heading toward Garber and was scheduled to arrive in Crane shortly after 5 a.m. Climbing a one-percent grade along Roark, engineer Henry Possehl witnessed a large 50-ton boulder and rock slide come down off a bluff up ahead, and he quickly applied the brakes. The locomotive hit the big rock and turned over, sliding down the south embankment, coming to rest just above the creek. Those living close to this site—who would have been Sid Fronaberger, and Leonard Jones (Grandpa Willard's brother) were awakened from the noise of the wreck. 

 I would discover that four men lost their lives in this tragic accident, almost a mile below the Garber Post Office and station. They were Engineer Henry Possehl, brakeman Bobby Endsley, fireman Oscar Hodges, he died at the scene, and a fourth individual from Batesville, Arkansas, Billy Campbell (still not sure if I have the correct name). Campbell was riding in the lumber car which also came off the tracks and overturned. He was crushed to death when the load shifted. 

A short distance behind was another freight on a similar mission, a work train, and they were flagged down by a survivor of the wreck. They detached the caboose from the wrecked train as it was not harmed and coupled it to the work train locomotive and hauled the injured (Possehl and Endsley) to Branson. They both died later that morning as a result of their injuries. 

In recent times I have discovered multiple newspaper reports of this accident. The Crane Oracle paper I believe has the most accurate info since the division headquarters for this area were based there. I had no idea until recently that more photography existed on this accident, all thanks to George Hall who documented so much in our area from the years 1906 through 1917.

A number of years ago I parked one day in the lot at Sycamore Log Church, walked down to the little trestle (bridge 112) just down the road, climbed up the embankment and walked up a short distance, remembering Grandpa Willard's clues, maybe a quarter of a mile, and discovered the bluff and creek that matched the photo of the wreck we had discussed in 1992.

 It's been well worth the time to find the cemeteries where these railroad men were laid to rest. Unfortunately, I've found nothing on Campbell. He was your typical railroad hobo, who unfortunately was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Engineer Possehl who died in Branson was able to give eye witness statements recalling the accident shortly before his passing. He was laid to rest in Muskogee, Oklahoma, leaving behind a wife and three young children.  He was 32.

Fireman Oscar Hodge, age 32, was laid to rest in the Cochran Cemetery, Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Brakeman Bobby Endsley, age 22, was laid to rest in the Layton Cemetery, Yellville, Arkansas. These three can be found by visiting their online profiles at findagrave.com.

 Railroading is definitely a job that has its moments, and it was a sad time that morning in November 1915 when this occurred. The tracks were cleared later that morning, but the units and wrecked locomotive that were down the embankment took ten days to clean up. George Hall captured several impressive views with his camera. 

Happy trails, everyone!