Carthage Historic Preservation, Inc.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 375 | Carthage, MO 64836
Phelps House: 1146 Grand Avenue, Carthage, MO
417.358.1776
HILL HOUSE
circa 1887
1157 S. Main Street
Holmes Photography
Frank Hill (1843-1911) arrived in Carthage in 1869 and quickly became a respected community leader. A veteran of the Civil War, he served in the 5th Massachusetts Regiment before making Carthage his permanent home. He married Ella Culbertson in 1877 and raised a son and daughter in Carthage.
Hill quickly established himself as a capable businessman, first as a partner with Henry Cowgill in the Cowgill & Hill dry goods store and later in the very successful Carthage City Mills, Cowgill & Hill Flour Milling Company, and the Globe Mills. In 1883, he and Cowgill moved into textiles assuming leadership of the rebuilt Carthage Woolen Mill Company which had been destroyed by fire the previous year. Hill was also an investor in a number of mines throughout the area. Hill's leadership extended into finance as well, serving for many years as both President and a Director of the Bank of Carthage.
Deeply involved in civic and community affairs, Hill was an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic and represented fellow veterans as a delegate to the national convention. In recognition of his contributions, a camp of the Sons of Veterans was named in his honor after his passing.
Hill served on the Board of Trade, served on the Carthage Library Association, and was a devoted member of the Congregational Church. In 1907, he sold his longtime residence in town and built a new home in the Morgan Heights neighborhood, where he continued to be a prominent figure in Carthage life.
